Whale Watching

Dominica is home to many beautiful and magnetic creatures. It is also one of the top whale watching destinations in the world.
For persons searching for a truly humbling and jaw-dropping experience, along with a friendly captain and crew on a bright day, you are guaranteed to have a fantastic experience!

For any Questions about this tour ask the frontdesk of the hotel!

 

    • Adventure, Easy, Sea, South Coast, Whales
    • Adventure

Whale Watching Dominica

Dominica is home to many beautiful and magnetic creatures. It is also one of the top whale watching destinations in the world. 

Dominica is a Caribbean island and the only place in the world where you can see all of these twenty-two species of whales in one place. From humpbacks to blue whales, you will get a chance to witness them all!  Although the sperm whales are here throughout the year, peak whale watching is from November to April. Your chances of whale sightings are at a blaring 90%! 

Tourists and locals alike always enjoy the experience at Whale Watching Dominica. 

For persons searching for a truly humbling and jaw-dropping experience, along with a friendly captain and crew on a bright day, you are guaranteed to have a fantastic experience! 

Whale Watching Dominica Background

Whale Watching Dominica officially started in the 1990’s. Since its commencement, it has become one of the world’s most famous whale watching tourism destinations, with over 14,000 whale watching tourists per year.
Whale Watching in Dominica is a highly sought-after activity for a compelling reason—it provides an exceptional experience where you can witness whales up close in their natural ocean habitat, free from captivity, mistreatment, or disruption. You are simply witnessing them in their most natural habitat which most people have never seen with their own eyes.

However, once individuals catch a glimpse of this spectacle, they are captivated and enthralled by the beauty of these creatures in their untouched natural environment.

Background of the Whales

Although its counterparts, Humpback whales are only around seasonally from November to April, Sperm whales tend to be the great attraction for Whale Watching Dominica because of its year round presence. Some other variations of Whales that are observed in Dominica waters in recent years include:

  • False Killer Whales,
  • Pygmy Killer Whales
  • Melon headed
  • Short Finned Pilot Whales
    Also
  • Spotted Dolphins,
  • fraser’s dolphins
  • Bottlenose Dolphins.

Unlike the whales, the dolphins usually move in large packs. These are currently some of the most commonly observed dolphins throughout the year.

Sperm Whale

This type of whale Apart is maybe the most commonly observed in Whale Watching Dominica, and they’re the largest toothed predators in the world. The whales can reach up to 18 metres long and weigh up to 50,000kg. They also tend to do some very deep diving into some great depths. These depths can go as deep as 2,000 metres! This is also where they usually get their food. 

 

Whale Watching Dominica Tour

Although a sighting is never 100% guaranteed, visitors have a 80% percent chance of whale sightings. 

Before embarking on your journey, be sure to pack some essentials including:

  • Snacks
  • Water 
  • Sunscreen
  • Cameras! 

Tourists typically gather at their starting point. The boat captain and his crew usually  carefully help passengers onto the boat. Once the crew  confirms that everyone is on board, the guides de-anchor the boat, and ride out into sea!

While you are sailing out, you will be with the captain and his crew. The guides are experts at Whale/Dolphin watching, so they usually take the time to give you tips on what to look out for. These guides are also typically very well versed in wildlife overall, so any other animal you may spot while out there, they will be willing to give you a lesson on it. 

A common tip that the guides give tourists is to look out for a water spout shooting out from the water when looking for signs of a whale. This spurt of water meant that a whale was at the surface, shooting water out through their blowhole.   

Sailors also usually carry a hydrophone on board, which is a special equipment with a 7km range. The sailors use this to detect underwater sounds. They measure the sound waves with the use of headphones. They will typically drop this in the middle of the ocean at times that they see fit. The hydrophone will pick up if there’s any clicking sounds created by the sperm whales. 

The abundance of food also attracts predatory whales like pilot whales, false killer whales, melon headed whales and orcas. We have also had sightings with extremely scarce whales like Curvier’s beaked whales, pygmy killer whales and pygmy sperm whales. Now this is where the magic happens. 

The whales dive deep when they hunt for prey and can hold their breath for almost an hour. When the whales return to the surface to breathe, they will rest for upwards of ten minutes at a time. This is when the magic happens! 

The whale’s resting period is when we have an opportunity to jump in and see the whales. Once there’s a sighting, the tour guides bring the boat as closely as permitted. Once they have maintained a safe and legal distance from the whales, reach for your cameras, as this is where the show begins! When you can finally witness the majestic creatures in full view, it’s truly a fascinating experience. 

As you begin to make your way back to the gathering point, it is quite common for tourists to witness  large pods of dolphins. They typically put on a show for you by jumping and diving very near the boat, or in front, leading you all the way back to shore! 

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Overview of Whale Watching Dominica

Scheduling a Whale/Dolphin watching tour is an essential when travelling to the nature isle. You get to personally witness one of the most astounding natural phenomenons on the planet first hand. These beautiful creatures are spotted year round and have been a major tourist attraction for decades. This tour is surely one you will remember for a long time.  

On your next visit to Riverside Hotel, book a whale watching sail trip for your opportunity to witness these magnificent creatures in their glory. It’s a fun afternoon at sea and if you don’t see whales, you may have a chance to see a pod of dolphins! 

Riverside Hotel Picard

Do you have a travel bucket list? If so, you need to put Dominica on it today! Come to Dominica and explore the boiling lake! Riverside Hotel has got you covered as you explore this natural wonder. We offer great hospitality, so you can enjoy the adventure without worry! You won’t regret it. To help you out, use the code 10-off to get our 10% discount if you book directly on this site. **Code valid if you book for 3 nights or more!!