A recent scientific expedition aboard the vessel Solace documented a record 513 humpback whale sightings in a single day at Navidad Bank, a submerged coral bank located 100 kilometers off the North/ Northeast coast of the Dominican Republic. The findings reported in Oceanographic Magazine confirm the area is one of the world’s most significant breeding grounds for North Atlantic humpbacks.
While the Marine Mammal Sanctuary of Bancos de la Plata y la Navidad is known as a critical winter nursery, Navidad Bank has historically been the least-studied zone within the sanctuary. The expedition was a collaborative effort between the Fundación Puntacana, the Dominican Foundation for Marine Studies (Fundemar), EYOS Expeditions, and Yachts for Science.
The unprecedented data on whale density will be presented to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to advocate for strengthened regional protections. Jonathan Delance, Chief Conservation Officer for the Dominican Ministry of Environment, noted that these results are a testament to decades of local conservation efforts, supporting the global “30×30” goal to protect 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030.
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Oceanographic Magazine
14 April 2026