The Mapu a Vaea or "Whistle of the Noble" are natural blowholes on the island of

Tongatapu Tongatapu is the main island of Tonga and the site of its capital, Nukualofa. It is located in Tonga's southern island group, to which it gives its name, and is the country's most populous island, with 74,611 residents (2016), 70.5% of the nation ...

in the village of Houma in the

Kingdom of Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesia, Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has List of islands and towns in Tonga, 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its tota ...

. When

waves Waves most often refers to: *Waves, oscillations accompanied by a transfer of energy that travel through space or mass. * Wind waves, surface waves that occur on the free surface of bodies of water. Waves may also refer to: Music * Waves (ban ...

crash into the reef, natural channels in the volcanic rock allow water to forcefully blow through and create a plume-like effect. It is one of the highlights of the tours around the island of Tongatapu. "Vaea" is the name of the Honorable Vaea Family of nearby Houma.

References

Landforms of Tonga Blowholes Tongatapu Landforms of Oceania {{Tonga-geo-stub