Published on Mar, 2024
This was AMAZING! Firstly, the itinerary as written is a little confusing. Here's how it actually went:
We were picked up from our resort in Punta Cana, picked up a few other people, and driven in a minibus to Sabana de la Mar. There we had a small sandwich and coffee, then we got on a boat, heading north east in the direction of Cayo Velantado (Bacardi Island). About halfway across we were scanning the water for signs of whales. For the first 30 minutes we only saw distant blows from the blowholes and a couple closer sightings of tail fins. We were really delighted but we thought maybe that was all we'd get. But then shortly after we saw about 5 full breaches from the water in succession from possibly a family. They were very close and basically everyone on the boat was able to take stunning footage (witness the attached photo - the videos are just as incredible). It was truly exhilarating! A pair then came and passed by the surface right in front of the boat - I'm talking less than 6 feet from the hull at the closest point!
We then continued on to Cayo Velantado where we disembarked and headed to the beautiful beach there, where we had a free drink token (I had a rum and Sprite). After an hour there, we returned to the dock and left for Samana itself. Upon arrival at a small Samana dock, we were given a freshly cooked meal in a buffet style - rice, beans, bread, salad, chicken, pork, etc. Then we left by safari truck to El Limon waterfall. About 2 or 3km out, we stopped to get equipped for our horseback ride to the falls. We were given boots and formed a convoy of horses to the falls, going through beautiful jungle and next to a small river. We stopped at the top of a long set of steps which we traversed on foot down to the foot of El Limon waterfall. It was beautiful and we got some great pictures and had fun swimming in the cool waters. We dried very quickly after getting out. We returned the same way we came - up the steps, back on horses for 2-3km and then on a safari truck back to the dock at Samana. We boarded the same boat back to Sabana de la Mar and were fortunate to get a couple more sightings, not quite as dramatic, but a pair relaxing near the surface for nearly a full minute before diving again. We were given rum and coke for the remainder of the journey to shore and then disembarked to be picked up by minivan and returned to our resort, about 12 hours after we left in the morning. Breathtaking experience, it was actually quite emotional. We must strive to protect these magisterial animals - don't forget to recycle!
