It’s the time to go whale-watching in northeastern Samaná. For the most adventurous, and with cash to spend, it can mean actually swimming alongside humpback whales within their natural habitat.
The Ministry of Tourism teamed up with US TV’s ABC News’ “Good Morning America” to follow Ginger Zee, the show’s chief meteorologist, who shared the experience of swimming with the whales for the show’s viewers on 28 January and 29 January 2019. The ABC News’ segment was broadcast live from the north coast’s Silver Bank Sanctuary, north of Puerto Plata, one of only two areas in the entire world where nature lovers can swim alongside majestic humpback whales.
Each spring, 5,000 to 7,000 Northern Atlantic humpback whales migrate toward the north coast of Dominican Republic to the Silver Bank for mating season. In the warm waters, the whales can comfortably mate and nurse newborn calves. Research indicates that the Silver Bank is home to the largest population of seasonal migrating humpbacks in the North Atlantic Ocean, if not the world.
From January through April in the Silver Bank, and mid January through the end March in Samaná Bay, wildlife and thrill-seeking enthusiasts flock to the coast to observe whales playing, vying for each other’s attention, nursing and jumping—you can even hear the yearning song of the male humpback whales, who become especially vocal during mating season.
On the show, Zee found herself face-to-face with a pod of the world’s most magnificent animals, humpback whales, both mothers and their calves. The phenomena, displayed on live TV, showed the magnificent creatures in the clear waters of the Silver Bank. During the segment, Zee not only experienced in-water interactions with humpback whales, she shared how travelers can have gentle encounters with these majestic animals and detailed existing endangerments that they are facing today, including plastic waste, entanglement by fishing gear and nets, among other factors.
“For nearly 60 years, Dominican Republic has collaborated with environmental agencies and leaders like the United Nations and The Nature Conservancy to protect our country’s ecological treasures and marine life,” said Magaly Toribio, marketing advisor for the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism. “Whether visitors wish to swim alongside humpback whales or observe marine life from aboard a boat, the experience is immersive and magical, bringing thousands of visitors each year closer to nature.”
Aquatic Adventures is one of three highly-experienced outfitters located just outside of beautiful Puerto Plata that offer this truly unique experience. The cost of a seven-day swim with the whale trip with Aquatic Adventures hovers around US$5,000 per person. The tour operators are committed to facilitating peaceful encounters between humans and whales. Professional guides instruct tourists on whale etiquette, allowing the whales to choose when they interact and to set the terms of the interaction.
From mid January to end of March, head to Samaná for reasonably-priced whale-watching expeditions, including those operated by Kim Beddall, pioneer of the whale-watching and whale conservation efforts in Samaná.
For those not wanting to go down under or take a boat excursion, there is the Punta Balandra observatory, going north 14 km from Samaná city on the road to Las Galeras. And in Samaná city is the Museo de las Ballenas, where exhibits include a 40-foot skeleton of a humback whale found in 1993. These two options are free and available year round.
Learn more:
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YouTube
Aquatic Adventures
Whales Samana
5 February 2019
