Home > Diving Dominican Republic > Dominican Republic Dive Tours

Swim With Humpback Whales

Silver Bank

by Conscious Breath Adventures, Winner of the 2012 Planet Whale Responsible Whale Operator Award

Swim With Humpback Whales, Dominican Republic - Dive Discovery

A voyage with Conscious Breath Adventures takes you to experience one of the premier congregations of humpback whales found anywhere, in the Sanctuary for the Marine Mammals of the Dominican Republic. With thousands of whales gathering here every winter to mate and calve, you will see a dazzling display of behaviors from the deck of our tenders and eye to eye as you slip quietly into the sea to interact with these graceful giants in their ocean home.

Swimming with humpback whales in their natural environment, on their terms, during a Soft-In-Water Encounter, is an ultimate wild animal interaction and spending a week in this exceptional sanctuary is a journey unlike any other. Visitors arriving on the Silver Bank quickly realize they are in one of the truly special wild places on earth, a feeling that only deepens as the days pass. The humpback whale behaviors you witness from above and the face to face experiences you have with them will leave you feeling joy, awe, humility, gratitude, and respect.

More than just a meeting of minds, the Conscious Breath Adventures experience aims to deepen your understanding of whales and their blue home. Our fun, informative educational presentations and accessibility of friendly, expert staff make this a trip that provides lasting gifts. You will leave with new friends above and below the water and a deeper knowledge of humpback whales, the issues they face, the scientific efforts to understand them and the ongoing fight to protect them.

The whales will make you laugh and they may make you cry, but they will always touch your spirit. A journey to the Silver Bank is an adventure that will awaken your consciousness and inspire your soul.

My love of the sea began when I was a little girl growing up in Michigan, I loved the lakes (I had never been to the ocean until I was 15yrs old)! I belonged to the Jacques Cousteau Society and Greenpeace since I was 9 yrs old. The whales were the siren that awakened my soul and love of the sea.

I strongly believe in the way Gene Flipse has fashioned his philosophy in showcasing these most incredible gentle giants for all of us to experience! If you have ever dreamed of being eyeball to eyeball as I have with a humpback whale underwater, this is now the time to do this, with Capt Gene.

Check out the YouTube's yourself, they are incredible.

Let me know what trip dates work for you, this is a life changing transformational time of your life.

With gratitude,

Cindi LaRaia

 

A couple sentences from Capt. Gene Flipse of Conscious Breath Adventures

~> About the whales & the experience:
"I have spent most of my life on and under the water and have been fortunate to meet many of the oceans' inhabitants but nothing compares to the experience of swimming with humpback whales. Having a wild and free whale that is as big as a school bus approach out of curiosity and interact with you on a one-to-one basis is a breathtaking and humbling experience. There is no place on land or in the sea where animals this large interact at such close range and it is impossible to come away unaffected."

~> Why I do this:
"Swimming with humpback whales has given me a deeper connection with all life on earth. Conscious Breath Adventures gives me the opportunity to share this connection with our guests and at the same time give something back to the whales and dolphins who mean so much to us. Guests have an indescribable experience in the water but learn much more through our educational presentations, leaving them with a deeper understanding of the whales, their life history, and the threats that they face now and in the future. Conscious Breath Adventures also offers direct support to researchers working on the Silver Bank and offers data we have collected to international researchers."

 

Cruise Itinerary

Each trip is a week-long liveaboard cruise that boards in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic on Saturday afternoon and disembarks the following Saturday morning. The daily schedule on the Silver Bank is designed to maximize the time available for boat-based whale watching and soft-in-water whale encounters. Be advised that the daily schedule is subject to change and is provided for reference purposes only. Guests are advised to arrive in the Dominican Republic on the Friday preceding their scheduled Saturday departure or earlier to allow for any delays in transit.

Saturday
5pm
Guests board vessel at Ocean World Marina, Cofresi, Dominican Republic; cabin assignments
6pm – 7pm
Vessel Safety and Operations orientation; required paperwork.
7pm – ?
Group introductions, dinner
11pm
Vessel departs Ocean World Marina
Sunday
9am (approx.)
Vessel arrives on the Silver Bank, moors
9am – 12am
Vessel cleanup; tender preparations; snorkeling and humpback whale orientations
12pm – 1pm
Lunch
1pm – 5:30pm
Whale excursion in tenders
5:45pm – 7pm
Sundowner celebration
7pm – 8:30pm
Dinner
8:30pm – ?
Evening activity (discussion, lecture, slideshow, etc.)
Monday – Thursday
7am
Breakfast
8:30am – 11:30am
Whale excursion in tenders
Noon
Lunch
1:30pm – 5:30pm
Whale excursion in tenders
5:45pm – 7pm
Sundowner celebration
7pm – 8:30pm
Dinner
8:30pm – ?
Evening activity (discussion, lecture, slideshow, etc.)
Friday
7am
Breakfast
7:30am
Vessel drops mooring, departs Silver Bank anchorage
4:30pm (approx.)
Vessel arrives Ocean World Marina
6 pm – ?
Optional video/photo presentation of the week’s events. Dinner ashore
Saturday
7am
Breakfast
8am
Guests disembark vessel

 

MV Sea Hunter - Dominican Republic Liveaboards - Dive Discovery Dominican Republic
Dining area - MV Sea Hunter - Dominican Republic LiveaboardComputer room - MV Sea Hunter - Dominican Republic Liveaboard
Our boat: MV Sea Hunter

COST:

For the standard seven night, six day itinerary, the costs are as follows:

$4,795 per person for a berth in a Standard Stateroom
$4,895 per person for a berth in a Deluxe Stateroom.
$5,195 per person for a berth in a Master Stateroom.

Sanctuary Access & Port Fees: $600 per person.
Fuel Surcharge: surcharge set in December for the following season; currently $200.

*** All Fares, Fees & Surcharges are subject to change.

What’s Included:

  • Seven nights accommodations aboard, starting with guests boarding Saturday evening approximately 5:00 pm; and disembarking the following Saturday morning at approximately 8:00 am.
  • The excursion is seven nights and six days. Your arrival/departure days are included in those six.
  • You will have five days on the Silver Bank with up to four and one half (4.5) days of tender time to look for whales (up to nine tender excursions), weather permitting as per Sanctuary rules.
  • Three meals a day aboard the vessel, except for the last (Friday) night, which will be ashore.
  • Morning and afternoon snack.
  • All beverages, including carbonated, non-carbonated, and alcoholic (a limited selection of beer (local) and wine) are provided. Hard alcoholic beverages will not be provided, but may be brought on board the vessel if desired.
  • Fresh towel service upon request.
  • Entertainment library.

Swim With Humpback Whales, Dominican Republic - Dive Discovery

For more information
Contact:
Dive Discovery
@
1 800 886-7321
(415) 444-5100
or
Request Info