Whale Watching in Dominican RepublicHumpbacks and whale watching in SamanaThe North Coast of Dominican Republic is one of the best places to view humpback whales in the world. Due to strict laws and guidelines to protect them, the Dominican government has been able to conserve one of the largest breeding sanctuaries for humpback whales in the world. In this post we’ll talk about these beautiful animals and why whale watching in Dominican Republic needs to be on your bucket list. Whale Watching in Samana, Dominican RepublicAn exciting experience for nature, animal, or ocean lovers, it’s safe to say that no matter who you are, when you see an 80 foot animal launching itself out of the water or playfully slapping the surface with it’s massive fin, you’ll be left in awe. It’s for this reason that viewing these creatures in their natural habitat has become more and more popular world wide and why you should go whale watching in Dominican Republic. Samana is located on the far east of north coast Dominican Republic. Every December-March Samana gets visitors looking to see humpback whales playing and courting in their breeding grounds. Due to this yearly influx of visitors trying to spot giant mammals, Samana has developed into quite the tourist town. Although we perfer Cabarete’s relaxed vibe and watersport scene, Samana is beautiful and worth the 5 hour trip from Cabarete. Here are some tips for planning your trip to Samana for whale watching in Dominican Republic
Mating Grounds for Humpback WhalesEvery year Humpback whales migrate for months at a time, traveling up to 16,000 miles each season. Samana, Dominican Republic is the site for breeding and birthing grounds for humpback whales who travel from cold waters where they feed. The coasts of Hawaii are other mating grounds for other humpback whales who as a species go from cold waters to feed, to warm waters to breed. Weighing up to 40 tons and measuring up to 80 feet, it unbelievable that the months long journey humpback whales make every year is while fasting. In feeding season they build up their whale blubber and fast in order to migrate, mate, and bare offspring. Humpback Whale CalvesThe reason humpback whales travel so far from high altitude polar waters where food is abundant, to warm water is to give birth or mate. Whale calves when born are able to swim and although might weigh about a ton and be 10-15 feet long, have very little fat and are unable to handle the cold waters. In the warm water the new born whales take in about 100 pounds of breast milk a day, slowly gaining the protective weight they need to follow momma whale back to the feeding grounds. Humpback whale females are pregnant for 10-12 months and get pregnant around every 3 years. They are known to return to the same place they mated to give birth which is why we see the whales around the same time every year. Something really cool about whale moms is that their nipples are inverted so that they can be more hydrodynamic in the water. When the calve is ready to feed, they nudge at the mammary gland and the nipple points out. Momma whale then starts to shoot out milk that the calve then drinks. If you were picturing the whale suckling at it’s mothers nipple, remember that whales don’t have lips! LOL Whale watching in Cabarete, Dominican RepublicEven from Cabarete you can see the whales make their way along the north coast of the country to their breeding grounds in Samana, Dominican Republic. We’ve seen water shooting from their blowholes, tail flapping, and breaching from the lineup while surfing at Playa Encuentro or from our own backyard on Bozo Beach. Cool facts about Humpbackwhales
For more information about whale watching in Dominican Republic, send us an email so we can help you book your visit.
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AuthorLearn about traveling and living in the Cabarete, Dominican Republic. Good places to visits and fun things to do in Dominican Republic. Archives
October 2018
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