September is the prime breeding and nursing season for humpback whales as they complete their journey from the icy Antarctic to the warm, sheltered waters of Tonga. And as such, it’s a prime time for this South Pacific nation to come to life with whales and whale-watchers alike.

And with each year that passes, the populations of whales that return to Tonga to feed and nurse their young provide us all with the stark reminder of just how connected the global ocean really is. And with that, how connected we all are to it.

This week, reporting from the shores of Ha’apai, the northern part of Tonga, Oceanographic Columnist and policy lead at Blue Marine Foundation, Max Bello is joined by a very special and esteemed guest – Fatafehi Fakafanua, Lord Speaker of the Kingdom of Tonga – a kingdom that prides itself upon its pristine ocean and its ocean stewardship.

Tonga marked its place in history back in 1978 when it became the first country to be recognised as a designated whale sanctuary, a move that witnessed its local communities switch from hunting whales for food, to swimming with them for purposes of safeguarding these sentinels of the ocean. It is hoped by many – including Fatafehi Fakafanua himself  – that one day, Tonga will introduce the legislation to give its annual populations of humpback whales, and the young that are born in these waters, official Tonga citizenship.

Until that day, however, communities will continue to work to protect these populations. Fatafehi Fakafanua has recently joined the global allegiance of ‘Antarctic Avengers’, a movement launched around the UN Ocean Conference in June this year and one that acts to support and encourage the development of effective and ambitious protections for the Southern Ocean, particularly around the Antarctic Peninsula, where each year, these humpbacks migrate to feed.

“Here in Tonga, we are quite far from Antarctica. But the humpbacks whales come here to breed and give birth and nurse their young in these waters. All these mothers come here to give birth, but they themselves do not feed while they are here. All their energy is collected in the Antarctic where they collect their food source – krill. It is what connects us to the Antarctic,” says Fatafehi Fakafanua.

“Which is why we recognise just how vitally important it is for a healthy Antarctic marine environment. If we starve these whales of their krill in the Antarctic, then we starve them in Tonga.”

To this end, humpback whales are global connectors. But every one is connected to the ocean, argues Max. “Every one in two breaths comes from the oxygen produced from the ocean. Whether you are in the mountains or in the forest. We are all connected to the ocean.”

Here’s what Max Bello has to tell us here at Oceanographic Magazine: