The whales
Breaches and tails.
-wuppertaler — CC BY 4.0 · Danu Widjajanto — CC BY-SA 4.0 · -wuppertaler — CC BY 4.0 · Farragutful — CC BY-SA 3.0 · -wuppertaler — CC BY 4.0
A broad, calm bay south of the Samaná peninsula, fed by the Yuna River and one of the Caribbean's most important humpback whale breeding grounds: every winter, from about mid-January to late March, thousands of whales arrive from the North Atlantic to mate and give birth in its warm waters. Whale-watching trips leave Samaná harbour on licensed boats that keep set distances from the whales under sanctuary rules, so passengers watch whales breach or raise tails and flippers, and sometimes hear their loud breaths. Trips take about three hours. In Samaná town the whale museum displays a complete humpback skeleton and explains their migration. Along the waterfront runs the Malecón promenade, from which two long footbridges reach small islets in the bay, with fine views of the harbour and hills. Outside whale season the bay is still lovely for boat trips to Los Haitises and Cayo Levantado. The sea can be rough, and seasickness is common. Use licensed operators; sea trips are cancelled in rough weather, and the hurricane season runs from June to November.
Breaches and tails.
A full skeleton.
The footbridges.
Samaná Bay, north-east coast
From about mid-January to late March, with February the peak in most years.