If your destination is the Dominican Republic between December and April, trying your luck at spotting humpback whales is an almost obligatory tour. It is possible you won’t see them, but if chance falls in your favor, it will be one unforgettable spectacle.
Three and a half hours from Puerto Plata and from BlueBay Villas Doradas, every year between December and April Samana Bay becomes home to more than three thousand humpback whales from cold areas such as Greenland, Iceland or Canada, coming to the Caribbean to mate.
The event is worth seeing. Males of 40 tons tak great jumps in the water, tail and flaps included, to attract females. If they do not, the courtship continues underwater with songs that can be heard for even as far as 30 kilometers.
There are many excursions, all duly authorized and under strict rules set by the Ministry of Environment. One of them is not staying for more than half an hour in the observation area.