Best of · DOMINICAN REPUBLIC WHALE WATCHING TOURS

The 15 Best Whale Watching Tours in the Dominican Republic

48 tours  ·  from $65 a head

The Bay of Samana and the Silver Bank hold the North Atlantic humpback breeding population from mid-January to late March. These 15 cover the bay day trips and the longer runs offshore.

Samana: Whale-Watching and Cayo Levantado Full-Day Tour - Boat comfort matters more than the brochure suggests
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Samana: Whale Watching and Cayo Levantado Full Day Tour

1.Whale Watching and Cayo Levantado Full Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 159 reviews · 7 hours · from $77Our pick

Set out from Moto Marina with guides such as Ileana, Rayner, and Salomón for whale watching in Samaná Marine Mammal Sanctuary. After about 2.5 hours on the water, continue to Cayo Levantado for a buffet lunch and beach time. Expect English or Spanish guiding, drinks, coconut snacks, and a weather-dependent sea ride.

“We loved our guide, she spoke English fluently and was overall lovely - we learnt about which whales we saw, how they live, eat, mate, sing, etc. We saw some whales surfacing to breathe, but unfortunately no tail breaches (much less full body jumps). It was still quite fun nonetheless, and the beach on Cayo Levantado was beautiful - no sargassum (Feb 10th, windy day), clear water and the sun was shining.”

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Samana: Bay of Samana Whale Watching Experience - Leaving Moto Marina Tours for the open bay
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Samana: Bay of Samana Whale Watching Experience

2.Bay of Samana Whale Watching Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 97 reviews · 3 hours · from $65Best value

Join Moto Marina Tours for a whale-watching boat trip from Samaná to the Marine Mammal Sanctuary. A multilingual guide explains the bay and its humpback whales while you look for blows, tails, and close passes. The boat ride includes coconut, water, and soft drinks. Check the exact departure time, since the listed schedule can vary.

“The trip was great. The guide was informative and helpful. We saw many whales very close to our boat. We all had a great time!”

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Whale Watching & Limón Waterfall Day Trip - The long road from Punta Cana
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Whale Watching & Limón Waterfall Day Trip

3.Whale Watching & Limón Waterfall Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 94 reviews · from $169

Leave Punta Cana before sunrise for a full-day trip to Samaná Bay and El Limón Waterfall. You’ll sail by catamaran for humpback whale watching, then ride a horse for about 30 minutes through tropical vegetation to a 165-foot waterfall. Expect roughly 10 hours of transport, a maximum group of 45, and a moderate level of fitness.

“The boat crew and whale watch was fun- although short - once we’d seen a few whales! The guide basically said. That’s good enough . The horse back ride was awful - the hoses are in terrible shape and maltreated - yelled at and hit Read more”

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From Punta Cana: Sanctuary Whale Watching Day Trip - The road from Punta Cana to Samaná
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From Punta Cana: Sanctuary Whale Watching Day Trip

4.Sanctuary Whale Watching Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 87 reviews · 12 hours · from $189

Travel from Punta Cana, Bávaro, Uvero Alto, Cap Cana, or Bayahibe to Samaná for humpback whale watching, a beach stop at Cayo Levantado, and a horseback ride to El Limón Waterfall. The day includes a light breakfast, Dominican buffet lunch, drinks, guides in five languages, and transport, but expect a long day with plenty of road time.

“Pickup from my hotel at 6:30am was smooth, but we spent long stretches waiting and driving between stops before reaching the boat dock. We arrived at the dock at 915am. Breakfast was a ham sandwich and fruit. Whale watching was rough due to choppy water, and we saw very few whales. We spent an hour on Saona Island with pushy photographers. Expect to pay $40–50 USD for photos. Lunch is a mainland buffet with great food, but it’s the last meal. You’re shuttled to the waterfall/“horseback” ride, where attendants repeatedly ask for tips, including $50 for the volunteer and animal. You spend ~30 minutes at the waterfall, then ride back.…”

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Samaná Experience Whale – The Lemon Waterfall & Bacardi Island - The boat crossing to the Samaná Peninsula
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Samaná Experience Whale – The Lemon Waterfall & Bacardi Island

5.Samaná Experience Whale – The Lemon Waterfall & Bacardi Island

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 25 reviews · from $140

Travel from Punta Cana to Samaná by coach, boat, safari truck, and horseback. Ride to El Limón waterfall, swim beneath its falls, eat a Dominican lunch, then spend 90 minutes at Bacardi Island. Guides such as Pedro and Luis speak several languages, but expect a long day, basic meals, crowded stops, and rough transport.

“Definitely a to-do adventure! Be prepared for a long day...12 hours! Wear sneakers!!! Not flip flops. Bring lots of cash to tip and purchase items, beer etc... got totally soaked on boat both coming and going... so prepare for anything. Go with a great attitude and you will be rewarded. El Limon has 3 falls... go further past all the tourists to the very bottom falls!”

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From Punta Cana: Whale Watching and Montana Redonda Tour - What whale watching in Samaná Bay is really like
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From Punta Cana: Whale Watching and Montana Redonda Tour

6.Whale Watching and Montana Redonda Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 23 reviews · 9 - 10 hours · from $210

Leave Punta Cana early for a whale-watching cruise from Miches, then ride a safari truck up Montaña Redonda for swings, lunch, and wide Atlantic views. The 9 to 10-hour day includes hotel pickup, breakfast, a guide, boat fees, and return transport. Bring warm and dry clothing, and consider seasickness medicine.

“I really liked the excursión. The transportation, organising and everything was excellent!”

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From Punta Cana: Samana Bay Private Whale Watching Cruise - Getting there from Punta Cana
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From Punta Cana: Samana Bay Private Whale Watching Cruise

7.Samana Bay Private Whale Watching Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 21 reviews · 20 minutes - 10 hours

Travel from your Punta Cana hotel to Samaná Bay for a private whale-watching cruise with an English, French, or Spanish-speaking guide. Afterward, enjoy a Dominican buffet and swim at Cayo Levantado, also called Bacardi Island. Your private group can decide when to return.

“We did the whale tour from Punta Cana. We did the private tour and they picked us up and it was a 2hr drive in the shuttle then about 1.5 hrs on the boat but it took us about 35mins to finally seeing the whales! We saw two sets of Mommy and Baby whales. After seeing the Whale’s we decided to go to Bacardi Island and ate some lunch.(lunch was delicious. We had some chicken,rice, salad, fruit, and fried whole fish, which was my favorite!) there was nine of us, and it was plenty of food for us!After lunch, we decided to head back to our boat and to the…”

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From Samaná: Whale Watching and Cayo Levantado Boat Tour - What whale watching is really like here
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From Samaná: Whale Watching and Cayo Levantado Boat Tour

8.Whale Watching and Cayo Levantado Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 21 reviews · 1 - 10 hours

Meet at Samaná’s Malecón at 8:30 AM for a boat trip to watch humpback whales in their natural habitat. Guides Pablo Pima Colada and Captain Mario may lead the outing, followed by a typical Dominican lunch and free time on Cayo Levantado. Expect whale watching, coastal views, and a busy island stop.

“Walvissen spotten was leuk, maar op een te volle boot. Eilandgevoel was niet wat ik er van verwacht had. Heel erg druk en vol met toeristen. Geen bountyeilandgevoel gehad. Er zijn mooiere plekken om dit gevoel te hebben. Eten was middelmatig. Dus eigelijk te veel hiervoor betaald.”

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From Samaná: Whale Watching and Cayo Levantado Island Tour - What the whale-watching portion is really like
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From Samaná: Whale Watching and Cayo Levantado Island Tour

9.Whale Watching and Cayo Levantado Island Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 21 reviews · 1 - 7 hours

Meet at Samaná’s Malecón at 9:30 AM for a guided boat trip into Samaná Bay, where you may see humpback whales in the wild. Afterward, spend free time on Cayo Levantado, also called Bacardi Island, with beach access, food options, volleyball, and shaded areas. English, French, and Spanish tours are available.

“La experiencia es muy linda, el guìa excelente! pero si hace falta música durante el trayecto... y más tiempo en la isla, ya que se pierde una parte al comer.”

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Samaná: Whale Watching Tour with Snacks - Meeting at the dock and leaving at 9:30 AM
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Samaná: Whale Watching Tour with Snacks

10.Whale Watching Tour with Snacks

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 19 reviews · 20 minutes - 7 hours Top rated

Meet at the Samaná dock at 9:30 AM for a guided boat trip through the bay to the Marine Mammal Sanctuary. Look for humpback whales, enjoy coconut, water, and soft drinks, and learn about the area in Spanish, English, or French. Some booking options may include Cayo Levantado.

“Very well organized tour with a professional team. We saw several whales and had plenty of time to enjoy the experience. Totally worth it!”

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Punta Cana: Whale Watching and Bacardi Island Day Trip - The early transfer from Punta Cana
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Punta Cana: Whale Watching and Bacardi Island Day Trip

11.Whale Watching and Bacardi Island Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★3.6 · 15 reviews · 10 - 12 hours · from $150

Leave Punta Cana early for a full day in Samaná Province. Watch humpback whales for about 2.5 hours from January through March, eat a Dominican buffet at Bacardi Island, then choose Salto El Limón by horseback or Playa Rincón by safari truck. Multilingual guides, including Christelle, lead the trip.

“Partis à 6h15 de l’hôtel pour arriver à 10h00 au port alors qu’il y a 2 heures de route. 1h00 d’attente pour avoir le bateau. Dans le bateau on est serrés comme des sardines, ils disent 4 personnes par banquette mais il faudrait tenir compte de la corpulence de certains passagers très nombreux sur ces excursions. Donc à l’arrière vous ne voyez absolument pas la mer et quand enfin vous approchez des baleines si elles sont du côté opposé vous ne voyez rien, vous les voyez 10 secondes quand le bateau tourne. En plus plusieurs personnes malades qui demandent à rejoindre la terre ferme, pas de sac à vomi dans…”

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Samana: Half Day Whale Watching Humpback Whale Watching - From the private dock to the Marine Mammal Sanctuary
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Samana: Half Day Whale Watching Humpback Whale Watching

12.Half Day Whale Watching Humpback Whale Watching

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 15 reviews · 1 - 5 hours

Set out from a private dock in Samaná at about 9:00 am for a catamaran ride through the Bay of Samaná and its Marine Mammal Sanctuary. A guide explains the humpback whales, while coconut, soda, and water are served aboard. The planned return is around 12:30 pm, though departure times can vary.

“Es war ausreichend Zeit um die Buckelwale zu beobachten. Pünktlichkeit könnte besser sein. Wir sind mit über 1 Stunde Verspätung gestartet. .”

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Whale Watching and Bacardi Island day trip from Punta Cana - A spacious catamaran gives the whale search room
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Whale Watching and Bacardi Island day trip from Punta Cana

13.Whale Watching and Bacardi Island day trip from Punta Cana

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 13 reviews · from $158

Sail into Samana Bay on a spacious catamaran with a guide helping you spot migrating humpback whales. Then spend two hours on Cayo Levantado, often called Bacardi Island, with buffet lunch, one drink, water, beer, and beach time. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included.

“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.”

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Samana: Whale Watching Tour - The early pickup and long road to Samana
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Samana: Whale Watching Tour

14.Whale Watching Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 12 reviews · 12 hours · from $163

Travel from Puerto Plata, Sosua, or Cabarete to Samana Bay for a fast-boat search for humpback whales, then eat a Dominican lunch and swim at Cayo Levantado. English- and Spanish-speaking guides lead the day. Breakfast, transport, boat ride, and hotel return are included, but lunch drinks cost extra.

“Be prepared for a long day, as this is a long excursion due to the driving time required from Puerto Plata / Cabarete to Samana. The included breakfast, about 1.5 hours into the drive was excellent. The actual whale watching portion of the tour was absolutely fantastic. Less desirable was the time spent on Bacardi Island. The lunch provided was pretty good, however, no beverages of any type were included - not even water. We had to pay extra for beverages at lunch, and with the cost of this excursion was a totally unacceptable oversight. The 2 hours on Bacardi Island was too long as there is little to do…”

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Whale Watching in Samana - Breakfast makes the long day easier
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Whale Watching in Samana

15.Whale Watching in Samana

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 12 reviews · from $132

Set out from Puerto Plata, Sosua, or Cabarete for a long day in Samana Bay, where humpback whales gather from mid-January through March. Your guide leads the boat trip, followed by a Dominican buffet lunch and free time on Cayo Levantado. Breakfast, transport, and the boat ride are included.

“We have had a great seeing of the whales. Wish we had more time with them and less people on the boat. It was packed.”

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New in Dominican Republic Whale Watching Tours

★ 3.9From Punta Canta: Whale Watching Cruise with Cayo LevantadoFrom $1797 reviews
★ 4.5Whale Watching + Cayo Levantado8 reviews
★ 4.5Whale watch tour from Santo Domingo with Bacardi Island and lunch includedFrom $2295 reviews
★ 3.0Whale Watching Tour in Samana Bay from Las TerrenasFrom $1252 reviews
★ 3.5Whales Watching Half Day ExperienceFrom $894 reviews
★ 4.0Whale Watching, Cayo Levantado and Limón Waterfall in SamanáFrom $1704 reviews
★ 3.5Tour with Whale Watching in Samaná, Beach and WaterfallFrom $1153 reviews
★ 4.0Samaná Whale Watching, waterfall & Cayo Levantado AdventureFrom $1795 reviews
★ 3.5Punta Cana Whale Watching and Bacardi Island Day TripFrom $1803 reviews
★ 3.5Full-day Whale watching Tour in Samana Bay from Punta CanaFrom $1503 reviews
★ 5.0Full Day Bacardi Whale Watching – End Season March 30thFrom $1659 reviews
★ 4.0Whale Watching in Samana Bay from Las TerrenasFrom $1152 reviews
★ 3.5Samana Whale Watching + Cayo Levantado ( Bacardi Island) with Lunch by LocalsFrom $655 reviews
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★ 4.5Whale Watching in Samaná Bay + Bacardi Island Beach- Full DayTripFrom $1696 reviews

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