Samaná Whale Watching

Every winter, North Atlantic humpback whales come to Samaná Bay to mate and give birth, and licensed boats take visitors out to watch them during the official season, which ran from 15 January to 31 March in 2026. The peak is February to early March. Researchers have identified more than 250 individual whales in the bay from their tail markings; the thousands usually quoted refer to the whole marine sanctuary, most of them far offshore on the Silver Bank. The sanctuary was the first one for humpbacks in the North Atlantic. The rules keep boats at least 50 metres from adult whales and 80 metres from a mother and calf, with no more than three boats per group, and swimming with the whales is not allowed. From Punta Cana it is a full day of 10 to 14 hours: about 1.5 to 2 hours by road to Miches or Sabana de la Mar, then a boat across the bay, usually with Cayo Levantado or El Limón. The water can be choppy, so take seasickness tablets beforehand. No excursion we photograph goes here, so photos are a private shoot, arranged in advance.