Santuario de Ballenas Jorobadas (Humpback Whale Sanctuary)
Where humpback whales come to breed each winter
Santuario de Ballenas Jorobadas (Humpback Whale Sanctuary)
The Marine Mammal Sanctuary of the Dominican Republic, protecting the warm waters of Samana Bay and Silver Bank where humpback whales breed each winter.
The Santuario de Mamiferos Marinos de la Republica Dominicana (Marine Mammal Sanctuary) is one of the most important protected areas for North Atlantic humpback whales. Encompassing approximately 1,800 square kilometers of the warm, shallow waters of Samana Bay and the offshore Silver Bank, this sanctuary provides critical breeding and calving habitat for an estimated 1,500-2,000 humpback whales each winter.
Every year from mid-January through late March, these magnificent creatures migrate over 5,000 kilometers from their feeding grounds near Iceland, Greenland, and New England to the warm Caribbean waters of the sanctuary. The whales come to mate, give birth, and nurse their calves in the bay's sheltered, predator-free waters. The sanctuary is managed under strict regulations that control boat approach distances, number of tour operators, and seasonal access to protect the whales during this critical period. Silver Bank, located north of the Dominican Republic, is one of the few places in the world where regulated in-water encounters with humpback whales are permitted, attracting marine enthusiasts from around the globe.