Tonga is one of the few places in the world where tourists can swim with humpback whales bringing in millions of dollars for the island kingdom.
The whale watching industry is booming but local operators accuse some foreign businesses of breaking the rules and getting too close to the animals.
They’re also worried the government is handing out too many licenses putting the whales and their breeding grounds at risk.
One operator, Alistair Coldrick, is part of a group that has challenged the government in court on the license issue, arguing regulations are not being followed.
“It says that it should be in the interest and conservation, management or protection of the whales that a license be issued,” he said. “So clearly throwing more and more licenses out there is gonna apply more and more pressure to the whales.”