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Whale Watching in Samana: Witness Humpback Whales in their Winter Havens
3.6
13 Ratings
Puerto Plata
Every winter, an incredible spectacle awaits you in Samana Bay, as humpback whales migrate from their Arctic residences to the welcoming warm waters of the secluded bay of Samana for mating and birthing. The spectacle is awe-inspiring, as the hulking male whales, weighing 40 tons, leap out of the water and land a short distance ahead.
Every winter, an incredible spectacle awaits you in Samana Bay, as humpback whales migrate from their Arctic residences to the welcoming warm waters of the secluded bay of Samana for mating and birthing. The spectacle is awe-inspiring, as the hulking male whales, weighing 40 tons, leap out of the water and land a short distance ahead.
Duration:
13 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Puerto Plata - Guests are picked up from their hotel in Puerto Plata.
- Sosua - Guests are picked up from their hotel in Sosua.
- Cabarete - Guests are picked up from their hotel in Cabarete.
- Samana Bay - From mid-January to the end of March, visitors can witness Humpback Whales in Samana, renowned as one of the world’s premier…
- Puerto Plata - Guests are picked up from their hotel in Puerto Plata.
- Sosua - Guests are picked up from their hotel in Sosua.
- Cabarete - Guests are picked up from their hotel in Cabarete.
- Samana Bay - From mid-January to the end of March, visitors can witness Humpback Whales in Samana, renowned as one of the world’s premier locations for whale watching. These magnificent marine mammals surface regularly to breathe, staying submerged for about 20 minutes, but can remain underwater for up to 40 minutes.
Whales migrate here to give birth as the newborn calves have a thin layer of fat, unsuitable for colder waters. At birth, they measure between 3.50 and 5 meters and weigh a ton.
After being picked up from your hotel in Puerto Plata, Sosua, or Cabarete, travel to Samana to enjoy the breathtaking views of the Dominican landscapes. Departing from the dock in Samana town, guests will be transported in comfortable, fast, and secure boats to search for whales.
- Cayo Levantado Beach - The next stop is Bacardi Island, locally known as Cayo Levantado. Here, a delicious traditional Dominican lunch will be served. After lunch, guests can enjoy the turquoise waters and white sands of Cayo Levantado to complete their wonderful experience.
It’s a long day, but truly worth the visit.
What's Included
- Whale Watching
- Local guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Breakfast
- Dominican-style Lunch
- Boat ride
- Whale Watching
- Local guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Breakfast
- Dominican-style Lunch
- Boat ride
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Drinks with the lunch not included
- Gratuities
- Drinks with the lunch not included
Additional Information
- contact for the exact tour departure time
- contact for the exact tour departure time
Location
Puerto Plata
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
3.6
(13 Ratings)
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Arleta_b
May 4, 2025
I felt like a little kid... - I felt like a little kid in a candy shop! It was amazing experience. Our tour guide was funny and kind.
Review provided by Viator
Tamara_b
Feb 22, 2025
Whales of Samana - We have had a great seeing of the whales. Wish we had more time with them and less people on the boat. It was packed.
Review provided by Viator
Osahone
Feb 28, 2022
Bucket List Experience - The whale watching experience was unbelievable. We were able to get several sightings of the humpback whales. In addition the excursion includes lunch on Bacardi Island and a some time to relax, soak up the scenery, swim at the beach on the Island. Since we were staying in the Bayahibe/Dominicus/La Romana area the trip to/from Samana can be exhausting and you must plan for a 12+ hour day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Patrickk_m
Mar 13, 2024
Awesome excursion. - Over all it was a great day. They picked us up as scheduled. We saw several whales and were able to get quite close. The island was beautiful. Crystal clear water. Plenty of shade under the trees.
Things we didn't know: the tour stopped to provide us breakfast. It was pretty good. There were many vendors on the island with reasonable prices if interested. The chairs on the island were $200 pesos each to use. You have to purchase drinks on the island. $100 pesos for a soda. $600 pesos for pina colada in a pineapple. The lunch was pretty horrible. Worst lunch I've ever had on an excursion. I wish I brought my snorkeling gear.
Over all a wonderful day. Loved the boat ride, the whales, and relaxing on the island. I would recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Alexandra_v
Jan 30, 2024
This was a great trip to... - This was a great trip to explore the north coast of DR. The food was amazing and seeing a pod of whales was an unforgettable experience.
Just be aware it is an all day event with lots of driving! And bring your swimsuit because they do offer swimming after lunch.
Review provided by Viator
Lalji_p
Feb 3, 2022
Good but needs a slight improvement. - Overall a great experience and even managed to see a family of humpback whales. Just one downside which was that because it was so busy it became a bit manic trying to find the guide for the return to the boat at Bacardi Island. He was waiting on the boat but we didn't know which boat was ours so couldn't see him. He needs to collect people together at a meeting point on the Island.
Review provided by Viator
Ernesto_f
Mar 5, 2026
Long long trip. But worth it if you have never seen whales. - The hour spent Whale Watching was awesome. The other 17 hours not so much. Especially departing Puerto Plata at 5 am and returning to hotel at 8 pm. 5 hours each way in a basic tour bus. Breakfast and lunch of very low quality (bring snacks). Two hours at a beach with no shower so we did not go in the water.
Review provided by Viator
Karen_k
Mar 28, 2024
Over crowded boat - Our tour guide was fabulous and we did get to see the whales. So while I would recommend this type of excursion, I would also recommend choosing a different company to go with. The reason I wouldn't recommend this company is because they overbooked/over crowded the boat we were on. This made for an uncomfortable ride and also made it difficult to actually see the whales that were there. We had so many people on our boat, 4 adults to each bench and then there were maybe 10-15 people that had to stand for the trip. We saw many other boat tours that had room for their groups to move around during the trip to have the best viewing of the whales. I wish I would have chosen a company that allowed more room on the boat.
Review provided by Viator
Mariorepu
Jan 28, 2024
Painful harassment of whales - They sell it to you as a wonderful experience to see the whales that give birth to the famous Samaná bay. The only thing I saw were a bunch of boats, I counted twelve, chasing a mother with her calf. We barely saw two loins and after an hour two other poor people were harassed by the engines. The truth is that it is a regrettable experience that I would not repeat again and I think not anywhere in the world. It's a shame to pay money for this. I hope the whales leave the site because their children are going to be born very stressed by these exploiters of nature.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Baescobedo
Mar 10, 2020
find a tour with less people - When whale watching the boats go in front of each other and don't allow the other boats to see, the first 3 boats that get there are the ones that have the priority to watch the whales. Would not recommend this tour. Try to find another tour that has less people and try to stay in Samana to be the first ones out.
the guides were fine, they drove us and brought us back.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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