The Best Scuba Diving Tours in 'Eua

Scuba Diving in ‘Eua

Tonga’s second-largest and oldest island is one of the top scuba diving locations in the kingdom. ‘Eua is a 40-million-year-old island that has formed dramatic cliffs, vast caverns and tunnels that divers can explore. The diving here is so good, in fact, that dive operators from the mainland, Tongatapu, are making the one-hour trip to ‘Eua to show travellers the amazing underwater seascape. Match that with the whales singing in winter or with seeing any of the 1,500 fish species living in these waters and you have a dream dive! Learn more about diving in ‘Eua with this quick guide to the best scuba diving tours in ‘Eua.

For more adventures on and around the island, be sure to check out the 10 Must-Dos in ‘Eua and The Complete Guide to ‘Eua.

Quick Facts About Diving in ‘Eua

The water temperature around ‘Eua is 25-29°C (77-84.2°F) year-round for comfortable diving
The visibility usually around is 15-30m (50-100ft)
Be sure to book well in advance during the whale season (July to October) as all of the diving operators run whale swimming tours and are often fully booked during this time
One of the must-do dives is Cathedral Cave, which is 100m (330ft) long, 50m (165ft) wide and 30m (100ft) deep
Sights on trips can include turtles, sharks, groupers, whales, around 1,500 species of fish and 700 species of coral.

Learn more about diving in Tonga with our Guide to Scuba Diving in Tonga.

Deep Blue Diving

Departure: ‘Eua and Tongatapu

The only scuba diving tour departing from ‘Eua, Deep Blue Diving is your top choice for diving in ‘Eua if you’re basing yourself on the island. Perhaps you could base yourself at their on-island accommodation Ovava Tree Lodge, which you can learn more about in the 6 Best Resorts in ‘Eua?

But back to the diving, Deep Blue Diving is a long-established dive operator in Tonga, diving to PADI guidelines. They also offer PADI introduction dives and Bubble Maker courses for children aged 8 to 10 years old. For experienced divers, two-tank dives with equipment hire, dive boat and guidance to ‘Eua’s famous Cathedral Cave or the outer reefs are available.

The dive operator also runs whale swimming tours in the season (July to October) and 4WD island tours of ‘Eua. Diving tours to ‘Eua are also available from Nuku’alofa in Tongatapu.

Note that there needs to be a minimum of three divers for trips to go ahead.

Blue Water Explorer

Departure: Tongatapu

For a more specialised type of diving, consider Blue Water Explorer. The operator offers a freediving trip to the caves of ‘Eua, including Cathedral Cave. This is the only operator offering freediving trips to ‘Eua.

Departing from Nuku’alofa in Tongatapu, the team transport you in one of their custom-built charter vessels designed with freediving and spearfishing in mind.

On a calm day, Cathedral Cave offers ideal conditions for freedivers, as well as spearfishing opportunities at a shipwreck. Learn more about fishing at The Best Fishing Charters on Tongatapu. Blue Water Explorer also offers multi-day whale swimming packages for ‘Eua, which you can find out more about in The Best Whale Tours in ‘Eua.

Whale Swim, Fish & Dive

Departure: Tongatapu

[UPDATE] Due to a major safety incident this operator has seen its license revoked and is no longer operating. If you have booked a tour with this company, please consider one of the other options mentioned in this article.

For travellers staying on Tongatapu, you don’t have to miss out on the ‘Eua Island diving action! Whale Swim, Fish & Dive offer scuba diving excursions to ‘Eua from Nuku’alofa in Tongatapu. After a one-hour boat ride, you’ll arrive at the astounding Cathedral Cave dive site, where you’ll see amazing drop-offs, sea mountains, caves and tunnels.

Whale Swim, Fish and Dive dive to the PADI limits with at least one guide to four divers. All of the gear can be hired for the two-tank dives offered. A packed lunch, refreshments, fruit and bottled water are also included.

There are two dive boats that Whale Swim, Fish and Dive use. Plus, as you might have guessed from the name, the company also offers whale swimming tours, fishing tours and snorkelling tours around Tongatapu.

Note that there needs to be a minimum of four divers for trips to go ahead.

More About Scuba Diving Tours in ‘Eua

Author

Laura S.

This article was reviewed and published by Laura, editor in chief and co-founder of Tonga Pocket Guide. Since arriving solo in the South Pacific over 10 years ago with nothing but a backpack and a background in journalism, her mission has been to show the world how easy (and awesome) it is to explore a paradise such as Tonga. She knows the islands inside-out and loves sharing tips on how best to experience Tonga’s must-dos and hidden gems. Laura is also editor of several other South Pacific travel guides.

Contact Laura via our contact page