Category Whale Watching

Dominican Republic · WHALE WATCHING

The 15 Best Samana Whale Watching Trips

34 reviewed

From mid-January to March, thousands of humpbacks gather in Samana Bay to breed, and the boats get you close. These trips cover the season: what the crossing from Punta Cana or the north involves, how long you get on the water, whether Cayo Levantado or El Limon is bundled in, and the price per person.

Punta Cana: Samaná Whale Watching, Bacardi & Limon Falls

Punta Cana: Samaná Whale Watching, Bacardi & Limon Falls - La Cañita boat transfer: the setting for whale watching

1.Samaná Whale Watching, Bacardi & Limon Falls

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 131 reviews · 10 hours - 750 minutes · from $107Our pick

Punta Cana to Samaná for humpback whales, Limón Waterfall swim, Dominican lunch, and 90 minutes on Cayo Levantado beach.

“Vidjeti kitove iz blizine je nesto neusporedivo, sve je bilo dobro organizirano osim dorucka koji u opisu opce nije naveden i koji je prekinut jer smo se morali ukrcati na brod odmah nakon sto smo sjeli za stol, sto se tice jahanja Enrique i Angela bili su odlicni i posvetili su maksimalnu paznju meni i zeni”

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Samana: Bay of Samana Whale Watching Experience

Samana: Bay of Samana Whale Watching Experience - Meeting Moto Marina and Getting Your Day Started Right

2.Samana: Bay of Samana Whale Watching Experience

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

See humpback whales in the Bay of Samaná on a 3-hour tour with an expert guide, secure boat ride, and coconut snacks.

“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.”

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Whale Watching & Limón Waterfall Day Trip

Whale Watching & Limón Waterfall Day Trip - The Morning Grind: Pickup Window and a 13-Hour Day

3.Whale Watching & Limón Waterfall Day Trip

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

From Punta Cana, ride a catamaran in Samaná Bay to spot humpback whales, then tackle El Limón waterfall and a short horseback ride.

“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.”

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From Punta Cana: Sanctuary Whale Watching Day Trip

From Punta Cana: Sanctuary Whale Watching Day Trip - The UNESCO Whale Sanctuary: What to Expect on the Boat

4.From Punta Cana: Sanctuary Whale Watching Day Trip

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

Day trip from Punta Cana to Samaná for humpback whale watching in a UNESCO sanctuary, beach time on Cayo Levantado, and El Limon waterfalls.

“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 ….”

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Punta Cana: Whale Watching, Cayo Levantado & Limon Waterfall

Punta Cana: Whale Watching, Cayo Levantado & Limon Waterfall - The Coach, the Towns, and La Cañita: Comfortable Timing Tips

5.Whale Watching, Cayo Levantado & Limon Waterfall

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 71 reviews · 1 day · from $160

One-day Samaná tour from Punta Cana with whale watching, a jungle horse ride to El Límon waterfall, Dominican lunch, and Cayo Levantado beach time.

“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!!”

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Samaná Experience Whale – The Lemon Waterfall & Bacardi Island

Samaná Experience Whale – The Lemon Waterfall & Bacardi Island - La Cañita to El Limón: boat, safari truck, then horseback to the Falls

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

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

Full-day Samana adventure from Punta Cana: El Limón waterfall by horse, whale cruise, Bacardi Island beach time, lunch included.

“Pick up time: 6AM. Breakfast - Stale Bread + 1 slice water melon. Transit on bus/coach - 3 hours (morning). Boat ride - 1 hour Bus Ride - 1 hour Horse Ride - 45mins Time at falls - 1 hour max... Horse ride - 45 mins Bus ride - 1 hour Boat ride - 1 hour Coach transfer - 3 hours... Don't go unless you like being on a transfer..”

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From Punta Cana: Whale Watching and Montana Redonda Tour

From Punta Cana: Whale Watching and Montana Redonda Tour - From Punta Cana to Miches: what the ride is really for

7.From Punta Cana: Whale Watching and Montana Redonda Tour

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

Spend a full day from Punta Cana with a Samana Bay whale cruise, then ride to Montaña Redonda for panoramic views and lunch.

“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”

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From Samaná: Whale Watching and Cayo Levantado Boat Tour

From Samaná: Whale Watching and Cayo Levantado Boat Tour - The Morning Start: Samaná Malecón at 8:30 AM

8.From Samaná: Whale Watching and Cayo Levantado Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 21 reviews · 1 - 10 hours · from $6

Morning whale spotting from Samaná, then lunch and free beach time on Cayo Levantado, with a simple, affordable day trip.

“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

From Samaná: Whale Watching and Cayo Levantado Island Tour - Your 9:30 AM Malecón meeting and the full-day timing (back by 4:30)

Samaná: Whale Watching Tour with Snacks

Samaná: Whale Watching Tour with Snacks - The rhythm of the trip: from dock meetup to sanctuary search

10.Samaná: Whale Watching Tour with Snacks

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 19 reviews · 20 minutes - 7 hours · from $2Best value

See humpback whales in Bay of Samaná with an expert guide, comfortable boat time, and coconut snacks—respectful, smooth, and half-day friendly.

“Wonderful whale watching tour in Samaná. Everything was well managed, and the staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Seeing the whales in their natural environment was an amazing experience. Definitely worth booking!”

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Punta Cana: Whale Watching and Bacardi Island Day Trip

Punta Cana: Whale Watching and Bacardi Island Day Trip - The drive from Punta Cana to Samaná Bay: timing reality check

11.Whale Watching and Bacardi Island Day Trip

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

Punta Cana to Samaná Bay for humpback whale watching, then Cayo Levantado (Bacardí Island) swimming, lunch, and either El Limón or Playa Rincón.

“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

Samana: Half Day Whale Watching Humpback Whale Watching - Humpbacks and the Marine Mammal Sanctuary: what you’re really there for

12.Samana: Half Day Whale Watching Humpback Whale Watching

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 15 reviews · 1 - 5 hours · from $6

Half-day humpback whale watching from Samaná Bay on a catamaran with snacks, a live guide, and winter mating-season sightings.

“Die Wale wurden regelrecht gejagt! Leider keinen Abstand und Respekt den Tieren gegenüber gehalten. Schade, ich hatte gehofft, die Tiere beobachten zu können und das von einem nötigen Abstand aber so absolut an Tierwohl vorbei zu handeln, einfach nur furchtbar.”

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Whale Watching and Bacardi Island day trip from Punta Cana

Whale Watching and Bacardi Island day trip from Punta Cana - Searching for humpback whales in Samana Bay (and not missing the moment)

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

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

Catamaran humpback whale watching in Samana Bay plus a beach break on Bacardi Island from Punta Cana, with lunch, drinks, and pickup.

“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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Whale Watching in Samana

Whale Watching in Samana - Where you start: Puerto Plata, Sosua, and Cabarete pickup

14.Whale Watching in Samana

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

Full-day Samana humpback whale watching plus Cayo Levantado beach time, with pickup, breakfast, and a Dominican buffet lunch included.

“This was a great trip to explore the north coast of DR. The food was amazing and seeing a pod of whales was an unforgettable experience. Just be aware it is an all day event with lots of driving! And bring your swimsuit because they do offer swimming after lunch.”

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Full-Day Whale Watching Tour in Samana Bay from Cabeza de Toro

Full-Day Whale Watching Tour in Samana Bay from Cabeza de Toro - 7:00 AM Departure From the Punta Cana Side (Plan for a Long Day)

15.Full-Day Whale Watching Tour in Samana Bay from Cabeza de Toro

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 12 reviews · from $150

Samana Bay whale watching plus Cayo Levantado and El Limón Waterfall on a single full-day tour from Cabeza de Toro.

“First of all, this is a 14 hour experience from start to finish. You will not be done by 3:00 pm. From Punta Cana, it’s a 2 hour drive on a horribly small van stuffed with too many people and a driver who does not speak English. The boat ride Read more”

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