Dominican Republic · WHALE WATCHING
Humpbacks come into Samaná Bay from about mid-January to the end of March and the season is the whole story. These 15 compare boat size, how long you get on the water, whether Cayo Levantado is included, and which depart from which town.
Watch humpback whales in Samaná Bay, then swim, eat, and relax on Cayo Levantado for a full seven-hour Dominican day out.
“Amazing day ! We got lucky to see an amazing spectacle of whales !”
Spend a full day from Punta Cana watching humpback whales, swimming at Limón Waterfall, eating Dominican food, and relaxing at Cayo Levantado.
“Rapporto qualità-prezzo ottimo, posto paradisiaco e personale cordiale e preparato. Ci ritornerei volentieri.”
Watch humpback whales in Samaná Bay on a guided boat trip with snacks, turquoise water, and access to the Marine Mammal Sanctuary.
“The whale watching itself was great, we saw quite a few. But this excursion was advertised as 3.25 hours. We didn’t leave the marina until 10:00 am and were back by 12:30 pm. We could have spent more time watching the whales instead of rushing to drop guests off at Bacardi Island.”
See humpback whales in Samaná Bay, ride through rainforest to El Limón Waterfall, and weigh the long 13-hour day before booking.
“Watching the whales was worth the trip. It was amazing to watch them so close! If I had to do this again, I would choose one excursion without the Lemon Cascade. The Lemon Cascade is beautiful too, but you have to walk up and down 280 steps each way, and for me it would have been better to stop in a beach instead.”
Review the Punta Cana whale watching day trip to Samaná, with Cayo Levantado, El Limón Waterfall, lunch, transport, costs, and practical tips.
“All the staff and guides was extremely friendly and helpful… I would have liked to have spent more time whale watching Maybe do a tour just whale watching even if cost extra if would be worth every penny ….”
Spend a full day from Punta Cana visiting Limón Waterfall, riding through jungle, eating Dominican food, and relaxing at Cayo Levantado.
“El anuncio dice que veras ballenas, pero el guia nos indico que solo es de Enero a Marzo. Aún asi, la excursión es increible, mismo si fuimos con publicidad engañosa. La recomiendo en cualquier epoca del año, mejor que punta cana o isla Saona. Verdaderamente increible!!”
Review of Samaná’s El Limón waterfall and Bacardi Island tour from Punta Cana, with boat rides, horseback travel, lunch, whale views, and practical tips.
“Pros - packed itinerary - beautiful sights - cheapest price - food included Cons - Had to chase operator for a pick up time, operator could have been more organised in that sense General info and tips - Prepare to get a little dirty on the treRead more”
Watch humpback whales in Samaná Bay, ride a safari truck to Montaña Redonda, and enjoy a Dominican lunch with sea views.
“It was a really good day, the guide was knowledgeable, the crew on the boat were amazing. They helped point out the whales To me and one took my phone and took photos and videos of the whales and of me which were a nice touch”
See humpback whales in Samaná Bay on a private cruise from Punta Cana, then enjoy Dominican lunch and beach time at Cayo Levantado.
“The whole trip was very well organised and to see these magnificent whales in their natural environment was worth the long drive. Fantastic”
Review of Samaná whale watching and Cayo Levantado tour, with boat views, Dominican lunch, beach time, costs, and practical tips.
“The whale watching tour was well-organized and the boat was fine but I found two parts to be disappointing. The first is that the date scheduled was before most of the whales arrive. There can be up to 300 whales in the bay but at this point there were only three. Does it make sense to schedule a tour when there are so few whales? Second, the majority of the time is spent on Cayo Levantado, which has a nice enough beach but is much less interesting than seeing whales. Perhaps my expectations were unrealistic. Regardless, the guides were professional, friendly, and helpful.”
Watch whales in Samaná Bay, then relax on Cayo Levantado with lunch, beach time, and coastal views on this flexible day tour.
“While we saw a few whales, it was quite irritating that most other guests disregarded our guides‘ instructions to stay seated when there‘s a whale on their side of the boat so that everyone can see it. Our view was pretty much blocked because of that for a big portion of the whale watching excursion and some guests even reacted quite rudely when we asked them to sit down so that we‘d also get a chance to see something. While this was absolutely not our guides‘ fault, who kept telling people to stay seated, it still significantly affected our experience. Additionally, it felt like all the boats (not just ours)…”
Watch humpback whales in Samaná Bay, with a guide, boat ride, coconut, water, and soda during a four-hour marine sanctuary trip.
“Amazing experience! Very well organized tour with friendly staff. We saw several whales up close. Totally worth it.”
Review of Punta Cana’s Samaná whale watching and Bacardi Island day trip, with boat conditions, waterfall options, costs, and practical tips.
“wycieczka stanowiła atrakcję. nie do końca dopisała pogoda. jeśli chodzi o wieloryby eidzieliśmy pływające po zatoce Samana, choć nie wyskakiwały z wody jak na folderze reklamowym, ale przecież obserwowaliśmy je w ich naturalnym środowisku”
Watch humpback whales in Samaná Bay aboard a catamaran, with guides, snacks, Marine Mammal Sanctuary access, and flexible booking.
“le point de rdv n'était pas celui indiqué heureusement les dominicains sont gentils et se connaissent bien et nous on bien aidé. le départ s'est fait 1h après l'horaire de rdv soit 10h. de plus le bateau ne me semble pas approprié pour l'observation des baleines sans qu'on se dérange s'il y a du monde sur le bateau. la mer était agitée nous n'avons pas vu beaucoup de baleines et le bateau est vite parti. sachant que nous avions pris la demi journée seulement. Le bateau a quand même été au cayo levantado et nous sommes reparti avec un autre bateau car seulement 3 a ne pas participer à la…”
Review of Punta Cana's whale-watching and Bacardi Island day trip, with Samana Bay whales, beach lunch, transport, price, and booking tips.
“Pick up from my hotel was seamless (if a little early). The whales were great. The ride there was interesting. Loved lunch and time on the beach. Nacho told us some history of the island. Two recommendations, provide the guides with some information about whales and please don’t introduce politics into the trip.”
Pick a coast, a boat or a river.
