Whale Watching in Samana

Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

11 to 13 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Explore our promoted experiences

Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

Damajagua 7 waterfalls and monkeys obeservations private van

from $135

Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

Private Zipline & 7 Damajagua Waterfalls Tour Puerto Plata

from $120

Damajagua Waterfalls Adventure with Zip Line Experience

Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

5.0

(3)

Damajagua Waterfalls Adventure with Zip Line Experience

from $110

Viator earns higher commissions on experiences featured here

Overview

Combine a whale-watching tour with some time to relax on Cayo Levantado during this full-day tour from Sosua, Cabarete, or Puerto Plata. Out on the water of Samana Bay, witness the humpback whales doing their spectacular mating dance and maybe even see a whale calf. After the boat tour, head to Cayo Levantado for some time to relax and eat an included Dominican buffet lunch.

Whale-watching boat ride on Samana Bay
Dominican-style buffet lunch on Cayo Levantado
Breakfast included after early-morning pickup
Convenient hotel pickup and drop-off

What's Included

Hotel pickup and drop-off
Breakfast
Dominican-style Lunch
Whale Watching
Boat ride
Local guide

Gratuities
Drinks with the lunch not included

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Itinerary

Puerto Plata

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Sosua

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Cabarete

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Samana Bay

9 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Cayo Levantado Beach

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not wheelchair accessible
contact for the exact tour departure time

Stroller accessible
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

ARLETA_B

I felt like a little kid in a candy shop! It was amazing experience. Our tour guide was funny and kind.

Reviews

3.6

based on 13 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Long long trip. But worth it if you have never seen whales.

Ernesto_F, Mar 2026

The hour spent Whale Watching was awesome. The other 17 hours not so much. Especially departing Puerto Plata at 5 am and returning to hotel at 8 pm. 5 hours each way in a basic tour bus. Breakfast and lunch of very low quality (bring snacks). Two hours at a beach with no shower so we did not go in the water.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. Puerto Plata is the first pickup so it’s a long day. Breakfast and lunch is local food. There should be bathrooms on the island with water.

I felt like a little kid...

ARLETA_B, May 2025

I felt like a little kid in a candy shop! It was amazing experience. Our tour guide was funny and kind.

Whales of Samana

Tamara_B, Feb 2025

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.

Over crowded boat

Karen_K, Mar 2024

Our tour guide was fabulous and we did get to see the whales. So while I would recommend this type of excursion, I would also recommend choosing a different company to go with. The reason I wouldn't recommend this company is because they overbooked/over crowded the boat we were on. This made for an uncomfortable ride and also made it difficult to actually see the whales that were there. We had so many people on our boat, 4 adults to each bench and then there were maybe 10-15 people that had to stand for the trip. We saw many other boat tours that had room for their groups to move around during the trip to have the best viewing of the whales. I wish I would have chosen a company that allowed more room on the boat.

Awesome excursion.

PATRICKK_M, Mar 2024

Over all it was a great day. They picked us up as scheduled. We saw several whales and were able to get quite close. The island was beautiful. Crystal clear water. Plenty of shade under the trees. Things we didn't know: the tour stopped to provide us breakfast. It was pretty good. There were many vendors on the island with reasonable prices if interested. The chairs on the island were $200 pesos each to use. You have to purchase drinks on the island. $100 pesos for a soda. $600 pesos for pina colada in a pineapple. The lunch was pretty horrible. Worst lunch I've ever had on an excursion. I wish I brought my snorkeling gear. Over all a wonderful day. Loved the boat ride, the whales, and relaxing on the island. I would recommend.

This was a great trip to...

Alexandra_V, Jan 2024

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.

Good but needs a slight improvement.

Lalji_P, Feb 2022

Overall a great experience and even managed to see a family of humpback whales. Just one downside which was that because it was so busy it became a bit manic trying to find the guide for the return to the boat at Bacardi Island. He was waiting on the boat but we didn't know which boat was ours so couldn't see him. He needs to collect people together at a meeting point on the Island.

Response from Host, Feb 2022

Thank you for your feedback Laji! Good to hear that you had a great experience overall. I will take care of the issue regarding of returning to the boat on Bacardi Island.