DOMINICA SPERM WHALE SWIMMING TRIPS
25 Nov 2023 to 03 Dec 2023 - 0 spots left
6 days on the water
02 Dec 2023 to 10 Dec 2023 - 0 spots left
6 days on the water
10 Dec 2023 to 18 Dec 2023 - 4 spots left
6 days on the water
18 to 26 May 2024 - 6 spots left
6 days on the water
25 May to 02 June 2024 - 6 spots left
6 days on the water
Choose from one these accommodation options:
Jungle Bay Resort 2023
Double/twin occupancy with full breakfast $5420 USD pp
Single occupancy with full breakfast $6300 USD
Soufriere Guest House or Rosehill Heights 2023
Double/twin occupancy self-catering $4500 USD pp
Single occupancy self-catering $4700 USD pp
2024 Prices to be confirmed pending the outcome of the permit system review currently taking place
6 days on the water
02 Dec 2023 to 10 Dec 2023 - 0 spots left
6 days on the water
10 Dec 2023 to 18 Dec 2023 - 4 spots left
6 days on the water
18 to 26 May 2024 - 6 spots left
6 days on the water
25 May to 02 June 2024 - 6 spots left
6 days on the water
Choose from one these accommodation options:
Jungle Bay Resort 2023
Double/twin occupancy with full breakfast $5420 USD pp
Single occupancy with full breakfast $6300 USD
Soufriere Guest House or Rosehill Heights 2023
Double/twin occupancy self-catering $4500 USD pp
Single occupancy self-catering $4700 USD pp
2024 Prices to be confirmed pending the outcome of the permit system review currently taking place
Why choose Indigo Safaris for your Sperm Whale trip?
Experience
We have been going to Dominica since 2013, and your escort, Indigo Safaris Managing Director and founder, has now run 18 of these trips, and our local Marine Biologist guide has been doing this for over 20 years. Both are published underwater photographers.
Value for money
To our knowledge, and that of our past clients, our trips represent the best value for money going.
Giving back
Each year we make a generous donation to the Soufriere/Scott's Head Marine Reserve, to ensure the continued preservation of the best dive sites on the island, and to educate locals about the wonders of the ocean on their doorsteps. We also raise money and donate to local sports initiatives, providing equipment for free swimming lessons for the kids of Soufriere and Scotts Head, for cricket, and are currently looking into rehabilitating the local basketball court.
Location
Since the jetty at Soufriere became operational in 2021, we relocated our base to the south of the island. The village of Soufriere is vibrant yet peaceful compared to the hustle and traffic of Roseau. There are a number of local eateries to choose from, ranging from simple fried chicken and fries to the more refined menu at Jungle Bay, and everything in between. For self-caterers, there is a small supermarket with basics, a bakery delivery service, and local fishermen. There is a beach with a hot spring in just at the edge of the sea, and other hot springs within walking distance. The start of the island-long Waitukubuli trail is here, there is an excellent dive centre, a sea kayaking school, and a freediving school. The community vibe is super-friendly, everything is within walking distance, and it is safe to walk around at all hours of the day and night.
Experience
We have been going to Dominica since 2013, and your escort, Indigo Safaris Managing Director and founder, has now run 18 of these trips, and our local Marine Biologist guide has been doing this for over 20 years. Both are published underwater photographers.
Value for money
To our knowledge, and that of our past clients, our trips represent the best value for money going.
Giving back
Each year we make a generous donation to the Soufriere/Scott's Head Marine Reserve, to ensure the continued preservation of the best dive sites on the island, and to educate locals about the wonders of the ocean on their doorsteps. We also raise money and donate to local sports initiatives, providing equipment for free swimming lessons for the kids of Soufriere and Scotts Head, for cricket, and are currently looking into rehabilitating the local basketball court.
Location
Since the jetty at Soufriere became operational in 2021, we relocated our base to the south of the island. The village of Soufriere is vibrant yet peaceful compared to the hustle and traffic of Roseau. There are a number of local eateries to choose from, ranging from simple fried chicken and fries to the more refined menu at Jungle Bay, and everything in between. For self-caterers, there is a small supermarket with basics, a bakery delivery service, and local fishermen. There is a beach with a hot spring in just at the edge of the sea, and other hot springs within walking distance. The start of the island-long Waitukubuli trail is here, there is an excellent dive centre, a sea kayaking school, and a freediving school. The community vibe is super-friendly, everything is within walking distance, and it is safe to walk around at all hours of the day and night.
About the trips
Three people at a time plus a guide are allowed in the water during an encounter, so we rotate in two groups. Occasionally we have multiple encounters at the same time.
We use the beautiful Jungle Bay Resort, in the south, overlooking Soufriere and Scotts' Head and the budget-friendly but comfortable self-catering Soufriere Guesthouse and Rosehill Apartments, all about 1km from the seafront and Bubble Beach natural spa. Soufriere Guesthouse and Rosehill are also within walking distance of natural springs. Rosehill and Soufriere Guest House don't have air-conditioning, but because of their location and the fans in the room, it is not necessary. There are well-equipped kitchens, dining room, lounge, and outside areas to relax. A transfer down and back up each day for those who want it can be arranged for $6 per person per day.
Each week has six days on the ocean with a local expert whale guide. You will be on the water from 8 AM to around 3 PM.
Permits are getting harder and harder to to secure, this is an extremely rare opportunity to photograph these giants, at an unbeatable price. The 8-night trips include fees, permits, breakfasts at Jungle Bay, group airport transfers, and transport and guiding for one day’s land touring.
November and December is an excellent time to go as the weather is pleasantly warm at around 29C, the sea is 28C, and rainfall is low. Adult male whales appear at this time of year, and group socialising is often observed.
May is also an excellent month, both for whales and weather. The absence of males means the family units are often closer to shore, cruise ship season is over so the ocean is ours. It's also the flattest and driest time of year.
Three people at a time plus a guide are allowed in the water during an encounter, so we rotate in two groups. Occasionally we have multiple encounters at the same time.
We use the beautiful Jungle Bay Resort, in the south, overlooking Soufriere and Scotts' Head and the budget-friendly but comfortable self-catering Soufriere Guesthouse and Rosehill Apartments, all about 1km from the seafront and Bubble Beach natural spa. Soufriere Guesthouse and Rosehill are also within walking distance of natural springs. Rosehill and Soufriere Guest House don't have air-conditioning, but because of their location and the fans in the room, it is not necessary. There are well-equipped kitchens, dining room, lounge, and outside areas to relax. A transfer down and back up each day for those who want it can be arranged for $6 per person per day.
Each week has six days on the ocean with a local expert whale guide. You will be on the water from 8 AM to around 3 PM.
Permits are getting harder and harder to to secure, this is an extremely rare opportunity to photograph these giants, at an unbeatable price. The 8-night trips include fees, permits, breakfasts at Jungle Bay, group airport transfers, and transport and guiding for one day’s land touring.
November and December is an excellent time to go as the weather is pleasantly warm at around 29C, the sea is 28C, and rainfall is low. Adult male whales appear at this time of year, and group socialising is often observed.
May is also an excellent month, both for whales and weather. The absence of males means the family units are often closer to shore, cruise ship season is over so the ocean is ours. It's also the flattest and driest time of year.
Booking
As permits require the participants' names to be submitted, and changes are very difficult to get through, a 50% non-refundable deposit is required to secure a spot. The balance is due 90 days before the trip starts. Payment is via bank transfer. If you bank in Euros or GBP, we can convert and take payment into our local account in these currencies. If the island closes its borders, the trip will be rescheduled.
As permits require the participants' names to be submitted, and changes are very difficult to get through, a 50% non-refundable deposit is required to secure a spot. The balance is due 90 days before the trip starts. Payment is via bank transfer. If you bank in Euros or GBP, we can convert and take payment into our local account in these currencies. If the island closes its borders, the trip will be rescheduled.
We board the boat at 0730 each day, and return between 1400 and 1500, depending on what is going on, or not. Each morning we will go out and use underwater listening devices to locate whale families. Once we have successfully approached a unit, three people will slip into the water, and move slowly towards the whales. Interaction time with one unit could last 30 seconds or 15 minutes, the whales decide. If the interaction lasts more than a few minutes, the three people in the water will swap places with the three on the boat, rotating every few minutes so everyone gets a chance to share the encounter. If the interaction is too brief to allow a switch over, the next encounter will start with the other group of three going in first.
We have had interactions that range from 30 seconds to one that lasted 90 minutes. Out of six days we generally have one without a Sperm Whale sighting. We hear them on the hydrophone, but they don’t pop up. But we also see a number of other cetacean species from the boat, and the view of the island is pretty cool. We get cat-and-mouse days when they are busy feeding too. On these days, they are on the surface for around 10 minutes between feeding dives and the feeding dives last around 45 minutes. We often get short one-minute or so encounters with feeding whales, but can have a dozen in a day. The other days, we have an average of at least 15-20 minutes in the water fr each with the whales. On jackpot days, we have spent several hours in the water with socialising units, sometimes several units.
The interactions can take place up to ten miles out to sea, which could be calm or could have some swell. You should be prepared to spend plenty of time on the boat waiting for encounters and looking out, and should also be prepared to do some swimming to approach and follow the whales.
We can take packed lunches with us that you can order from either the hotel restaurant or a local restaurant, or make yourself, and there will be cold water and cooler box on board. Water temperatures will be in the high 20s, and in the water you will be moving quite a lot, so no wetsuit is required.
See our 2018 trip short report and photos here
The program
Day 1 Arrive Melville Hall airport, transfer to Soufriere
Day 2 Sperm whales
Day 3 Sperm whales
Day 4 Sperm whales
Day 5 Sperm whales
Day 6 Sperm whales
Day 7 Sperm whales
Day 8 Island tour
Day 9 Return to the airport
Pre- and post-trip extensions
We know the island very well, and can arrange extensions for you for SCUBA diving or hiking.
Some Dominican sperm whale info
Sperm whales form strong lifelong relationships. They babysit for each other, have family traditions passed on by grandmothers, learn a communal dialect, and have different ways of life that resemble our various cultures. They live rich, complex and interesting lives.
The sperm whales off Dominica are predominantly groups of females and their dependent calves living together in 'units'. In the Caribbean, these units are small, about 7 animals, and appear to be matrilineal, (a female line of grandmothers, mothers, and their calves; referred to as families). Young males leave their families in their early teens to roam the open ocean, mostly alone, and may never see their families again. Units of females and their young regularly travel across ranges spanning several islands in the Antilles, but they appear to remain in the Caribbean as these families have never be identified in the neighbouring waters of the Gulf of Mexico or the Sargasso Sea, where there is also sperm whale research.
Over 20 different whale families have been identified in the waters off Dominica, and there are about 10 that are seen regularly. Based on researchers’ images, It is known that they have been using these waters since at least 1984, but likely much longer based on their life history. Sperm whales can live to be older than 70 years. Meaning they meet a lot of other whales over their lifetime. It would appear that families have preferences with each other, and these social preferences endure across decades, suggesting that individuals can remember each other despite long separations.
We have had interactions that range from 30 seconds to one that lasted 90 minutes. Out of six days we generally have one without a Sperm Whale sighting. We hear them on the hydrophone, but they don’t pop up. But we also see a number of other cetacean species from the boat, and the view of the island is pretty cool. We get cat-and-mouse days when they are busy feeding too. On these days, they are on the surface for around 10 minutes between feeding dives and the feeding dives last around 45 minutes. We often get short one-minute or so encounters with feeding whales, but can have a dozen in a day. The other days, we have an average of at least 15-20 minutes in the water fr each with the whales. On jackpot days, we have spent several hours in the water with socialising units, sometimes several units.
The interactions can take place up to ten miles out to sea, which could be calm or could have some swell. You should be prepared to spend plenty of time on the boat waiting for encounters and looking out, and should also be prepared to do some swimming to approach and follow the whales.
We can take packed lunches with us that you can order from either the hotel restaurant or a local restaurant, or make yourself, and there will be cold water and cooler box on board. Water temperatures will be in the high 20s, and in the water you will be moving quite a lot, so no wetsuit is required.
See our 2018 trip short report and photos here
The program
Day 1 Arrive Melville Hall airport, transfer to Soufriere
Day 2 Sperm whales
Day 3 Sperm whales
Day 4 Sperm whales
Day 5 Sperm whales
Day 6 Sperm whales
Day 7 Sperm whales
Day 8 Island tour
Day 9 Return to the airport
Pre- and post-trip extensions
We know the island very well, and can arrange extensions for you for SCUBA diving or hiking.
Some Dominican sperm whale info
Sperm whales form strong lifelong relationships. They babysit for each other, have family traditions passed on by grandmothers, learn a communal dialect, and have different ways of life that resemble our various cultures. They live rich, complex and interesting lives.
The sperm whales off Dominica are predominantly groups of females and their dependent calves living together in 'units'. In the Caribbean, these units are small, about 7 animals, and appear to be matrilineal, (a female line of grandmothers, mothers, and their calves; referred to as families). Young males leave their families in their early teens to roam the open ocean, mostly alone, and may never see their families again. Units of females and their young regularly travel across ranges spanning several islands in the Antilles, but they appear to remain in the Caribbean as these families have never be identified in the neighbouring waters of the Gulf of Mexico or the Sargasso Sea, where there is also sperm whale research.
Over 20 different whale families have been identified in the waters off Dominica, and there are about 10 that are seen regularly. Based on researchers’ images, It is known that they have been using these waters since at least 1984, but likely much longer based on their life history. Sperm whales can live to be older than 70 years. Meaning they meet a lot of other whales over their lifetime. It would appear that families have preferences with each other, and these social preferences endure across decades, suggesting that individuals can remember each other despite long separations.
