FettSolo
Contributor
Instead of an American Thanksgiving, I decided to branch out and do something different for the holiday! I spent a week on the island of Dominica, snorkeling with sperm whales.
Why Dominica?
Dominica is considered the best place in the world to swim with sperm whales, due to a resident pod of (at least) 57 individuals. On a personal note, I also was interested in going there since they were hit hard by Hurricane Maria last year, and I liked the idea of supporting them with my tourist dollars.
Getting There and Back
Since I live in New Hampshire, this was an ordeal. I had to take a bus to Boston at 7am, fly from Logan to JFK, then JFK to San Juan (Puerto Rico), overnight in San Juan, and then fly from SJU to Dominica.
On the way back, it was DOM to SJU, SJU to JFK, overnight in NYC, JFK to Logan, bus to NH.
Most of the flights were Delta. The ones to and from Dominica were run by Seaborne. Both Seaborne flights left two hours late, so keep this in mind if you are making plans!
Operator and Boat
I booked this trip through Indigo Safaris, run by @Christopher_B . I came across Indigo by chance while doing research online, and their sperm whales trips were substantially cheaper than any others I had seen. Chris was easy to communicate with via e-mail leading up to the trip. My package included 6 nights in a hotel in Roseau, five days on the water looking for sperm whales, breakfast, and airport transfers. There were six guests overall, including myself. The others also had a seventh hotel night along with an island tour, but I couldn't stick around that extra day due to work needs.
We had two boats over the course of the trip. We used one boat the first two days, but then it was seized by customs due to the captain not having filled out certain paperwork, etc. Chris quickly found us an alternate boat which we used the next three days. This one was larger with plenty of shade, as well as easy entry/exit into the water.
The Experience
Each day, we would typically head out on the boat around 730am. After we left the bay, the marine biologist on board, Izzy, would put a hydrophone in the water and listen for the sperm whales' sonar. Based on what he heard, the captain would drive the boat in a certain direction, and then we would look for any sign of the whales. If that did not work, the hydrophone would be put back in the water again, and so on.
The first two days, we saw nothing. Having done similar trips before, this wasn't worrisome. The third morning, we had a huge pod of Atlantic spotted and common dolphins ride around the boat for at least a half hour. When we decided to try to swim with them, they disappeared (of course). We saw our first sperm whale around noon that day. Only three people (plus Izzy or Chris) were allowed in at any one time, so as to not overwhelm the whales. I had an amazing experience that afternoon where two whales swam right in front of my face, close enough to touch (though I did not touch them, obviously). That was awesome!
The fourth day, we saw plenty of sperm whales, but they were skittish, so we never could get in the water with them. The fifth morning was great, with lots of sperm whales to snorkel with up until noon. At one point, I was in the water with six whales, which was unbelievable. I also got to see a calf at one point.
Typically, you'd have to get ready as fast as possible, stand by the ladder, slide in as quickly (but silently) as possible), and then swim along the whales while they cruised. My encounters probably all lasted a few minutes or less. I've heard of times when people have been in the water with sperm whales for hours, but that just did not happen this trip - obviously wildlife are wild (what!?), so everybody's experience with them will be different.
Lodging
We were originally supposed to stay at Castle Comfort, but they did not have enough rooms in time for our trip, so we were given two alternate options by Chris. I went with Sea World, since it was the cheaper one. It was definitely basic lodging, nothing fancy, but that was fine by me. I think their actual rate is around $60USD/nt. They were located right on the water, with a nice terrace where I could eat and read while enjoying the beautiful view. Sea World is roughly a 15min walk from the heart of Roseau.
Food
Breakfast was included in the trip package. Each morning were some version of eggs, along with salad, toast, and fresh fruit. It was a great way to start the day. Since this was filling, I would just eat a Clif Bar at lunchtime, and then I'd figure out dinner in the evening. The best part of eating on Dominica was definitely the fruit - passionfruit, plantains, soursop, and more!
Bottom Line
Dominica is not easy to get to, and even after you get there, you're in for long (7-8) days on the water. But being able to snorkel up close with such huge, magnificent creatures was worth all the effort. I know other trips have experienced more substantial encounters, but I had some amazing moments and I am pretty content overall.
I was also was quite pleased with Chris and how he ran the trip. I definitely recommend Indigo Safaris, and I will be interested in more trips with them in the future!
Why Dominica?
Dominica is considered the best place in the world to swim with sperm whales, due to a resident pod of (at least) 57 individuals. On a personal note, I also was interested in going there since they were hit hard by Hurricane Maria last year, and I liked the idea of supporting them with my tourist dollars.
Getting There and Back
Since I live in New Hampshire, this was an ordeal. I had to take a bus to Boston at 7am, fly from Logan to JFK, then JFK to San Juan (Puerto Rico), overnight in San Juan, and then fly from SJU to Dominica.
On the way back, it was DOM to SJU, SJU to JFK, overnight in NYC, JFK to Logan, bus to NH.
Most of the flights were Delta. The ones to and from Dominica were run by Seaborne. Both Seaborne flights left two hours late, so keep this in mind if you are making plans!
Operator and Boat
I booked this trip through Indigo Safaris, run by @Christopher_B . I came across Indigo by chance while doing research online, and their sperm whales trips were substantially cheaper than any others I had seen. Chris was easy to communicate with via e-mail leading up to the trip. My package included 6 nights in a hotel in Roseau, five days on the water looking for sperm whales, breakfast, and airport transfers. There were six guests overall, including myself. The others also had a seventh hotel night along with an island tour, but I couldn't stick around that extra day due to work needs.
We had two boats over the course of the trip. We used one boat the first two days, but then it was seized by customs due to the captain not having filled out certain paperwork, etc. Chris quickly found us an alternate boat which we used the next three days. This one was larger with plenty of shade, as well as easy entry/exit into the water.
The Experience
Each day, we would typically head out on the boat around 730am. After we left the bay, the marine biologist on board, Izzy, would put a hydrophone in the water and listen for the sperm whales' sonar. Based on what he heard, the captain would drive the boat in a certain direction, and then we would look for any sign of the whales. If that did not work, the hydrophone would be put back in the water again, and so on.
The first two days, we saw nothing. Having done similar trips before, this wasn't worrisome. The third morning, we had a huge pod of Atlantic spotted and common dolphins ride around the boat for at least a half hour. When we decided to try to swim with them, they disappeared (of course). We saw our first sperm whale around noon that day. Only three people (plus Izzy or Chris) were allowed in at any one time, so as to not overwhelm the whales. I had an amazing experience that afternoon where two whales swam right in front of my face, close enough to touch (though I did not touch them, obviously). That was awesome!
The fourth day, we saw plenty of sperm whales, but they were skittish, so we never could get in the water with them. The fifth morning was great, with lots of sperm whales to snorkel with up until noon. At one point, I was in the water with six whales, which was unbelievable. I also got to see a calf at one point.
Typically, you'd have to get ready as fast as possible, stand by the ladder, slide in as quickly (but silently) as possible), and then swim along the whales while they cruised. My encounters probably all lasted a few minutes or less. I've heard of times when people have been in the water with sperm whales for hours, but that just did not happen this trip - obviously wildlife are wild (what!?), so everybody's experience with them will be different.
Lodging
We were originally supposed to stay at Castle Comfort, but they did not have enough rooms in time for our trip, so we were given two alternate options by Chris. I went with Sea World, since it was the cheaper one. It was definitely basic lodging, nothing fancy, but that was fine by me. I think their actual rate is around $60USD/nt. They were located right on the water, with a nice terrace where I could eat and read while enjoying the beautiful view. Sea World is roughly a 15min walk from the heart of Roseau.
Food
Breakfast was included in the trip package. Each morning were some version of eggs, along with salad, toast, and fresh fruit. It was a great way to start the day. Since this was filling, I would just eat a Clif Bar at lunchtime, and then I'd figure out dinner in the evening. The best part of eating on Dominica was definitely the fruit - passionfruit, plantains, soursop, and more!
Bottom Line
Dominica is not easy to get to, and even after you get there, you're in for long (7-8) days on the water. But being able to snorkel up close with such huge, magnificent creatures was worth all the effort. I know other trips have experienced more substantial encounters, but I had some amazing moments and I am pretty content overall.
I was also was quite pleased with Chris and how he ran the trip. I definitely recommend Indigo Safaris, and I will be interested in more trips with them in the future!
