America

Whale Watching in the Dominican Republic: A Bucket List Experience

Here you will find all the necessary information for travelers and detailed instructions on how to see these mammals. In fact, this is not difficult to do, but since there is no sane information on the Internet, but only a general description, I had to learn everything myself.

Whales in the Dominican Republic: General facts

Let’s start in order. All information is important, the main thing is not to miss anything 

  • In the Dominican Republic, you can see real humpback whales
  • This is one of the few places in the world where they sail directly to the shore or almost to the shore
  • You can meet them every year only at a certain time
  • They come to the shores of the Dominican Republic to breed:
    • those who have found a mate here this year, will come here in a year to give offspring
  • Humpback whales can be seen mating off the coast of the Dominican Republic. Best luck if you see a male jumping out of the water.

Fact:We saw it once. It lasted literally 1-2 seconds, and, unfortunately, was not captured on camera. You are never ready for such a sight.

humpback whale jump
This is what it looks like one – on-one. The photo is not ours, I just found it on the Internet. But if you are more efficient than us, you can take such a photo.
  • Humpback whales are not fish, but mammals
  • They are also the largest mammals in the world.
  • The length of these whales is 14-15 meters, and the mass is about 30 tons.

Where to find whales in the Dominican Republic and when?

Let’s start in order.

When is whale season in the Dominican Republic?

Every year, between 200 and 400 humpback whales arrive on the coast of the country between January and March.

Useful to know:The perfect time to see whales is in February. The probability is 95-99%.

There is a year when the first whales enter the bay in the very beginning of January. But this is rare. Usually the first whales appear here after January 15-20.

And since the beginning of March, whales begin to leave the waters of the Dominican Republic. Sometimes they are delayed until the end of the month. But as you can see, the first individuals leave at the beginning of March, and the further they go, the fewer they remain.

It’s one thing when you surf the ocean in search of whales and there are almost half a thousand of them, and the second thing when most of them have swum away. Therefore, the closer you get to April, the less likely you are to find them. It’s the same in January. The earlier, the less likely it is. The ideal month for whale watching is all of February.

meeting with whales

Whales in the Dominican Republic: where to find them?

On the northern coast of the Dominican Republic there is the Samana Peninsula (emphasis on the last syllable). This is one of the best places for tourists in the Dominican Republic. There are steep beaches, a cool ocean, and a huge amount of greenery and palm trees, unlike in the south.

Interesting to know:For tourists, the best resorts on the Samana Peninsula are Las Terenes and Las Galeras.

The capital of the peninsula, the city of Samana with the same name. And whales come to mate and breed in the bay, which is also called Samana.

Whales can also be found on the outer side of the peninsula, on the same Las Galeras, but the probability is extremely low, and it will be just the same whales swimming into the bay.

map of the samana peninsula

What you need to know from here:

  • 95% of all excursions start from the city of Samana.
  • Sometimes boats also start from the town of Sabana De la Mar (Pier 4 is marked on the map). The pier has been renovated, and sometimes tourists from Bavaro and Punta Cana come here. But most tours still leave the city of Samana.
  • Yes, the one-way trip takes 4-5 hours, so be prepared. And the whole excursion from Punta Cana will take all day.
  • You can easily arrive by 9 am, preferably a little earlier, at the main pier of Samana (on the map Pier number 1). And on the spot to buy this tour yourself and cheaper.
  • But if you do not have a car, the best option for you is a ready-made tour. On it in one day you will see both whales and the mega Lemon waterfall, and even on horses you will repent, but this is no longer accurate.

How is the tour going, what is included there, and how much does it cost?

If you bought a tour in a hotel, with a transfer, etc., then relax and have fun. But read this part of the article, too, and there will be information for you as well.

An on-site guided tour costs$ 60-70 per person. Below$ 50, you are unlikely to bargain, but the attempt is not torture. It makes no sense to buy more expensive than$ 70.

timing of whale watching excursions

Procedure for independent tourists:

  • By 8-45 am, if you want to be on the first boats, come to the main pier of Samana (Pier number 1). There is free parking, if necessary.
  • You will immediately be swarmed by the enterprising vendors of this tour.
  • The price will be the same for everyone, they can start at $ 70-80, but you will drop the price to $ 60 in 10 seconds.
  • Boats go out to the bay for whales as they fill up from 9 am to 14-15 pm.
    • They say that in the first half of the day the chance of meeting whales is much higher. This is what they say, I can’t dispute or confirm. We met whales many times and at different times.
  • Next, choose the seller that you liked, and then continue the dialogue with them. Here’s what you should definitely ask:
    • Let him show you the boat you’re going to take. It will be 20 meters away from you on the pier. If the boat is not already at the pier, you can wait an hour or two before departure.
    • Therefore, if the boat is already moored to the pier, this is a good sign. And if there are already tourists sitting there, then the departure is very soon.
    • Immediately ask how long you’ll be leaving in. If it says 5 minutes, then that’s the Dominican 5 minutes. Usually it takes 20-30 minutes.
    • Also ask what else is included in the tour.

Important to know:For the vast majority of sellers, the$ 60 excursion includes, in addition to whales, a visit to the island of Cayo Levantado, better known as Bacardi Island, and lunch, usually rice with chicken and salad. 30-40 years ago, it was on the beach of this island that an advertisement for the famous Bacardi rum was shot.

bacardi beach from afar
Bacardi Island and its famous beach in the early morning, when there are still no people.

If everything is arranged, you give the money, you glue bracelets on your hand, put them in the boat, and wait until the boat is full and go.

Timing of this whole whale hunting event.

Each boat can accommodate about 50 people. Everyone is given a life jacket. Usually, the boat is not filled to the limit, because then, at the sight of whales, the ship is a mess. And everyone is running from side to side trying to take pictures of them. They try to put up to 30 people in the boat.

  • It takes 30-40 minutes to reach the middle of Samana Bay from Pier 1
  • Each boat has two caretakers, or whatever they are, with walkie-talkies. They sit on the “tower” and look out for whales.
  • Even if you quickly found them and met them, it doesn’t end there. Usually, the process of swimming with whales lasts about an hour.
    • Whales swim in pairs, and we met 5-6 pairs during this hour.
    • The captain always tries to turn the ship around so that everyone can see clearly.
    • But even without it, people were running around the deck from side to side as if stung.
humpback whale in samana bay, dominican republic
When you see something like this 15 meters away, you run willy-nilly to get a better look. And there are 30 more people like you.
  • After that, the boat takes everyone to Bacardi Island. This is a tiny island with an area of less than 1 sq. km. But there is a gorgeous beach, just like in the picture.
  • The time from leaving the port of Samana to the port of Bacardi Island will be about 2-2. 5 hours.
  • Bacardi Island will tell you when lunch is and where it will be waiting for you.
  • They will also tell you what time your boat departs back from the island to the port of Samana.
    • Bacardi Island is usually given 3 hours of free time.
    • What to do here: swim, sunbathe, there are souvenir shops, cafes with drinks for an additional fee.for a fee.

Total, timing of a whaling tour in the Dominican Republic

Timing of the entire tour: in our case, it was from 9 am to 3 pm. At 15 o’clock we disembarked at the port of Samana.

Very close, literally 20 km from Samana, in the jungle is a gorgeous waterfall El Limon. If you come to the peninsula from far away, then spin as you want, but you still need to catch El Limon.

And if you stayed for a couple of days in any town of Samana, then the next morning you must go to the waterfall. 

What to take with you on a guided tour: whales in the Dominican Republic?

  • Bathing suits
  • Towel
  • Motion sickness pills
  • Water
  • Can I have a snack
  • A puke bag (but if anything, it will be issued on board your boat)
  • If there are strong waves and wind, I also recommend a waterproof case for both your phone and documents, if you have them with you. It’s pretty wet all the way there 
  • Money for extra expenses is also discussed below.
  • Bacardi Island snorkeling mask and snorkel
  • Good luck!
whales in the dominican republic
You will have a lot of such photos

Our personal experience on the tour: whales in the Dominican Republic.

I’ll try to be brief, but I rarely do it. So, listen up.

As soon as we sailed from Samana, such waves began, and it became clear why the ocean is an ocean, and how it differs from the sea. The boat was big, but it was tossing like a matchbox.

For the entire two hours we were whale watching, every 8-10 seconds a large wave throws the boat up a couple of meters and drops it down. Of the 30 people on board, 7 people asked for a bag in the first half hour.

As a result, a good half of them got seasick, and they were sitting green, and they were sick.

Useful tip:Here are two things to do besides taking motion sickness pills to help keep you from puking. Sorry, but just as it is.

  1. Take a place in the boat at the very end (at the stern), there is less swing.
  2. Don’t sit against the traffic.
  3. Try not to turn your head, choose a point on the horizon and look at it.
  4. Don’t look at your phone, don’t read, you’ll get seasick in 30 seconds.

Just 30-40 minutes later, we met the first pair of whales. This usually happens like this:

  • The watcher on the bridge shouts “WHALES” and points.
  • All 30 people in a single rush — fly to this board.
  • Then someone shouts “whales!” and points in the other direction, and again they all fly in unison.
  • This is all under the waves, rolling and nauseating neighbors.
  • It’s important to hold on tight and keep your phones firmly in your hands. It’s easy to drop something overboard.
humpback whales in the dominican republic

Interesting to know:As a result, a lot of whales were found, they swam literally 5 meters from the boat. And once even a male jumped out of the water. This is such a mating game for them. 

Please note that children under the age of 12 are not allowed to attend this event. All because of the strong pitching. Adults are strongly “bumped” on the deck. The children will probably be thrown overboard on the second wave.

Bacardi Island in Samana Bay

Two hours later, our half-dead dreamteam was put ashore on Bacardi Island.

For your understanding, at least lunch will be free there, about two hours after you dock. Everything else is paid there.

  • A sun lounger on the beach is paid, but you can lie on your towel for free
  • Drinks, both non-alcoholic and alcoholic, for a fee
  • And, well, there is also a normal toilet, it is free.
  • And by the way, this is paradise beach only in Bacardi ads when there are no people there. When you are there, you will be accompanied by another 500 people from all the boats.
all about whales in the dominican republic

The boat came to take us back half an hour later than promised. But this is normal here. Tranquila, amigo. (Relax and have fun, friend).

Another useful fact:Initially, we only wanted to see whales, without visiting Bacardi. Crimea, where only the top layer of people sunbathe, was not interesting to us. Well, we have already seen enough gorgeous beaches in the Dominican Republic. And the one who sold the tour promised us that a boat would personally take us to Samana after the whales. Of course, everyone goes to Bacardi, and we go to Samana. We are naive. As you understand, we hung out with everyone until the very end. This is normal for the Dominican Republic. In this regard, it is better to buy a tour on normal services, they have everything clearer. 

In conclusion: there are definitely whales in the Dominican Republic in February in the city of Samana, on the Samana Peninsula, on the shore of Samana Bay. If you buy it yourself at the pier, the price is about$60. If somewhere in the agency with a transfer, etc., then there are prices for$100-130. But getting there yourself, if you don’t have a rental car, will be even more expensive. A ready-made tour with transfer and meals is obtained, even for the conditional $ 130, no more expensive than thinking about how to get to the start yourself, especially if you live very far from Samana.

In any case, where else will you see real humpback whales in their natural habitat?

Bright emotions and beautiful whale jumps for you!

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