When it comes to big animal encounters, it’s hard to beat swimming with the humpbacks of the Dominican Republic, and not just because these gentle giants are among the largest creatures on the planet. There is something deeply moving about being in the presence of whales, something that goes beyond amazement at their sheer size. Perhaps it’s their grace, as they arch and dive and hang suspended in the water, or perhaps it’s the sense of serenity that they instill in those who see them up close. There are only a handful of places in the world where humans can interact with these awe-inspiring animals in the water, and of those, the Dominican Republic is one of the very best. Located on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, the DR provides a jumping-off point for the Silver Bank, an area of ocean 20 miles wide and 70 miles north of the island itself. There, humpback whales congregate every year between January and April, transforming the warm, clear waters of the Silver Bank into a chaotic mating and calving ground. Once the young whales are strong enough to swim long distances, the humpbacks leave the DR and begin their migration north towards colder seas and more plentiful food. During the time that they spend on the Silver Bank, however, those who search for them can experience one of the natural world’s most powerful encounters.
The Silver Bank is protected as a marine sanctuary in recognition of the role it plays in the humpbacks’ life story. To ensure that the whales remain undisturbed there are restrictions on the number of whale-watching boats allowed to enter the sanctuary during humpback season. Those licensed liveaboards that are permitted to operate within the sanctuary during this time offer their guests a rare insight into the lives of the humpbacks, providing front-row seats to their antics both above and below the water. Although the main reason to visit the Silver Bank is to swim alongside these extraordinary animals, some of the behaviors associated with mating season are best viewed from the deck. Often, several libidinous humpback males will compete quite violently for the favor of a single female, and while it’s not safe to view this rivalry from the water, the sight of five or six 40-ton whales breaching and slamming into one another at high speeds is an unforgettable spectacle even when seen from the surface. When it comes to in-water encounters, those situations that are deemed appropriate typically involve solitary females, cow and calf pairs, sleeping whales or even families of humpbacks including an escort male. All in-water encounters are conducted on snorkel in compliance with the rules of the marine sanctuary, which has banned scuba in the belief that some humpbacks may perceive bubbles as a threat.
This rule is not much of a restriction, however, as the whales spend a lot of their time on the surface, playing, sleeping and conserving energy for their long journey north. The search for suitable whales to swim with is conducted not from the liveaboard vessel but from small skiffs, which bring you within a few feet of the water, allowing you to slip in quickly and quietly once the whales have been spotted. As you speed across a glassy ocean, a column of exhaled air in the distance gives the skipper his mark and within minutes, the sleek black back of a whale idling at the surface appears, and you are told to don mask and fins. On the skipper’s signal, you and the rest of the small group slip quietly into the water. Before you looms the humpback, impossibly huge, from her nodule-studded head to her gilded, white tail fin. She seems unconcerned by your sudden appearance, barely moving, she maintains her position with an occasional movement of one of her long pectorals, watching as you fin closer. As you approach, the whale seems to fill your vision, from the graceful pleated grooves of her white throat, to her compact dorsal fin.
When the whale eventually moves away and the encounter is over, you aren’t sure precisely how long you spent in her presence. Back on the skiff, elation expresses itself in your grin, and in the shakiness that spreads throughout your body. Already, you’re desperate for the next encounter, and another chance to enter the silent, serene world of the Silver Bank humpbacks.
Each experience is different from the next. Some whales are shy and disappear almost as soon as you glimpse them beneath the water; others are curious and playful, and will roll and splash and put on a show. Sometimes you will see just one whale, sometimes more. Sometimes the only soundtrack to the encounter will be that of your own accelerated breathing, and sometimes the whole ocean will reverberate with the haunting notes of the humpbacks’ song. However your encounters with the Silver Bank humpbacks unfold, and however much they differ, they will always make an impression that will last a lifetime.
