Samaná Bay vs Silver Bank: Same Humpbacks, Two Laws

Humpback whale rising toward the surface in blue water. Photo: Chinh Le Duc on Unsplash

The short answer: the whales are the same, the places are not. Samaná Bay is a busy coastal bay where swimming with whales is not allowed. Silver Bank is a remote offshore sanctuary where a very small number of permitted boats can offer time in the water. Mixing the two up is one of the most common mistakes in whale travel marketing, and it matters, because the difference is there to protect the animals.

Every winter, North Atlantic humpback whales travel to the warm waters of the Dominican Republic to mate, sing and give birth. So let us look at the whales first, and then at each place, one at a time.

One population, two destinations

A peer-reviewed mark-recapture study led by Stevick and colleagues (2003) used photographs and DNA collected in 1992 and 1993 at Silver Bank, Navidad Bank and Samaná Bay in the Dominican Republic, and in the Mona Passage near Puerto Rico. It estimated the West Indies breeding population at 10,752 whales, growing on average by 3.1 percent a year over 14 years. Those numbers are three decades old, and the authors themselves warned about possible bias, so please read them as a picture of that time, not as today's count.

The idea that matters here is simple. The whales that rest and give birth on the shallow banks and in the bay belong to the same breeding area. A Canadian news report notes that many humpbacks that feed off Newfoundland and Labrador in summer spend the winter in Samaná Bay. These animals travel thousands of kilometres. The least we can do is be careful hosts.

Can you swim with whales in Samaná Bay?

No. Samaná Bay sits on the north-east coast, and it is easy to reach from Punta Cana as a day trip. Here, swimming with whales is not allowed. The International Whaling Commission handbook describes how the bay is co-managed by the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Tourism, the boat owners' association, the Dominican Navy and the conservation group CEBSE.

The rules for boats are usually quoted from the Dominican Republic's Resolution 0030-2017, as summarised in the IWC whale watching handbook. Boats keep 50 metres (164 ft) from adult whales and 80 metres (262 ft) from a mother with her calf. Only three boats can stay with one group, while the others wait about 250 metres (820 ft) away. Each boat stays around 30 minutes, and everyone leaves the bay by 4 pm. I could not open the resolution itself while preparing this article, so please treat these as the commonly quoted figures and check the current rule before you travel. What I could confirm is that the season is set each year. In 2026 it was reported to run from 15 January to 31 March, with observation hours that can vary according to the presidential decree.

That can sound strict. But think of the bay as a nursery. The mothers are resting and feeding their calves. The calves are learning to breathe and swim in rhythm with them. Watching from the boat, and hearing a whale breathe close by, is already a lot. Our article on why mothers are sensitive to boats explains why.

Silver Bank: a sanctuary with very few permits

Silver Bank is part of the Santuario de Mamíferos Marinos Bancos de la Plata y Navidad, a marine mammal sanctuary. It is a shallow area of open ocean, several hours north of the coast. The IWC handbook notes that the Port Authority cannot clear any boat to enter the sanctuary without an entrance permit from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.

Only a very small number of authorised liveaboard boats can offer time in the water with humpbacks. I could not find an official document that gives the current number of in-water permits, so ask the operator and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. The season runs mainly from about mid-January to early April, with whales arriving from late November and leaving for the North Atlantic around late April.

Those encounters are meant to be passive. People slide quietly into the water from a small tender and float. The whale decides whether it comes closer. Operators describe following the same distances as in the bay when a boat approaches. I did not find the written rule for the sanctuary, so I would simply ask which rules apply.

You can read about those folds in our piece on the foetal fold of a newborn humpback, and about the sanctuary in Silver Bank and its humpback whales.

Wildlife encounters are unpredictable. Swimming with humpback whales should always follow local regulations and experienced professional guidance.

Why the same whale gets two sets of rules

The two places protect different situations. Samaná is a busy coastal bay with many boats. Silver Bank is remote, with very few permits and trained crews. One is an everyday day trip, the other an expedition. A rule that works for dozens of boats in a bay cannot be the same as a rule for a few liveaboards far offshore.

So when an ad promises a swim "with baby whales in Samaná", it is not a secret spot that others have missed. It is the rule being broken. And the calm mother in the photo is the very reason the bay has its limits. A resting mother and a small calf need space more than anyone.

Even a good rule needs good behaviour

Rules protect animals only when people follow them. Tourism in a nursery brings engine noise, repeated boat approaches and the pressure to "get the shot". Mothers of newborns spend a lot of energy nursing and travelling, and a calf that has to stop or move because a boat arrived loses some of that energy. I have no number to give you for this, and I do not want to invent one, but the principle is why every code keeps boats at a distance and limits the time spent with each group.

It is also why we say a good encounter is not measured in metres gained. It is measured in what the whale did next. Did it keep resting, feeding, singing? If yes, the trip went well.

Three questions before you book

If you are planning to see humpbacks in the Dominican Republic, three simple questions are enough. Which zone? Which permit? Which boat? A good operator answers them easily. If the answers are vague, or the ad promises a swim where swimming is not allowed, that tells you what you need to know. Our guide to recognising ethical whale encounters has a longer checklist.

For a day on deck in Samaná, a roll-top dry bag keeps your phone and a spare layer dry, so you can put the camera away and simply listen for the blow. A long-sleeve rash guard helps with wind and sun on an open boat, and a mineral sunscreen is easy to pack. Flying to the Caribbean has a real carbon cost, so it is worth making the trip count.

These are the same questions we ask ourselves before every whale day, and one reason our Moʻorea whale groups follow the local rules and stay small, with a maximum of six guests. If this made you curious to experience it yourself, you can explore our upcoming retreats.

Questions people ask

Can you swim with humpback whales in Samaná Bay?

No. In Samaná Bay swimming with whales is not allowed. Boats are reported to keep 50 metres from adults and 80 metres from a mother with her calf; check the current rule before you travel.

Why is time in the water allowed at Silver Bank?

Silver Bank is a remote marine mammal sanctuary where only a very small number of authorised liveaboard boats can offer time in the water, mainly between January and April. It is a separate permit system, not a general permission to swim with whales anywhere in the country.

What should I ask a whale operator in the Dominican Republic?

Which zone, which permit, and which boat. The answers tell you whether the trip follows the rules of that place.

When is the whale season in Samaná?

In 2026 the season was reported to run from 15 January to 31 March. Dates and hours are set each year, so check the current announcement.

How many boats can offer swims at Silver Bank?

Sources disagree: one older article said four, a more recent report said three. I could not confirm the current number, so ask the Ministry of Environment or the operator.

Does Ocean Calling run trips in the Dominican Republic?

No. We do not offer a trip there. We wrote this to help you read the rules, and our whale groups elsewhere stay small and follow local law.

Wildlife encounters are never guaranteed and never forced. Ocean Calling works only with vetted, ethical local operators, and every animal is free to approach, or not, entirely on its own terms.

Sources & further reading

Further reading on Ocean Calling: Silver Bank and its humpback whales · Dominican Republic in the Ocean Atlas · The foetal fold of a newborn humpback · Why mother whales are sensitive to boats

Samaná Bay vs Silver Bank: Two Laws for the Same Whales