Flagship Week · Samaná Bay · Dominican Republic
Samaná Whale Season
Seven nights around Samaná Bay at the heart of humpback whale season — Cayo Levantado, Los Haitises, Playa Rincón, and Playa Frontón. Private, crewed, all-inclusive.
Private proposals within 48 hours
From
$11,750seven nights
Departure
Marina Puerto Bahía · Samaná
Aboard
Cap II · Flying Wing
Samaná is built around the humpbacks. Each winter, two to three thousand North Atlantic humpback whales return to the warm shallows of Samaná Bay and the Silver Bank plateau just north of the peninsula to court, mate, calve, and nurse — the largest mating and calving ground for the species anywhere in the Atlantic. The fleet operates from Marina Puerto Bahía on the north shore of the bay, December 1 through May 15, with the peak weeks of the season running January 15 through March 31. This is the marquee week on the Rex Sailing calendar — not a parallel chapter, not a side trip, but the reason we are here.
The classic week runs Marina Puerto Bahía → Cayo Levantado → Bahía de San Lorenzo and Los Haitises National Park → Las Galeras and Playa Rincón → Playa Frontón → back to the marina, with a shore day for the El Limón waterfall. From the yacht we cruise the bay and the approaches to Los Haitises and view whales from a respectful distance; for the close approach, guests transfer to a permitted operator working under one of the 46 ASDUBAHISA / Ministry of Environment authorizations issued each season. Days bend around weather, the tide in the mangroves, and where the whales are — the captain finalises on day one over coffee in the cockpit.
Charter rates start at $11,750 all-inclusive aboard Flying Wing for a party of up to eight guests. Cap II — the 77 ft CNB flagship — is available for the week from $32,500 for parties of up to ten. Both rates include the yacht, crew, fuel, mooring, marina fees at Puerto Bahía, and full provisioning. The permitted whale-watching transfer, restaurant reservations in Las Terrenas, and the El Limón shore excursion are arranged on request.
Highlights of this charter
Humpback whales, in season
From January 15 through March 31, two to three thousand North Atlantic humpbacks return to Samaná Bay to court, mate, calve, and nurse. Mothers and calves come right inside the bay; breaching, slapping, and singing are constant from the deck of the yacht.
Los Haitises National Park
Twelve nautical miles across the bay — karst limestone mogotes rising straight out of the sea, mangrove channels, sea caves with pre-Columbian Taíno petroglyphs, and more than two hundred bird species. Genuinely unlike anywhere else in the Caribbean.
Cayo Levantado and the bay-mouth beaches
Cayo Levantado — Bacardi Island — at four miles, Playa Rincón and Playa Frontón at the east end of the bay. White sand, palm fringe, cliff-backed snorkelling, and the calm green water of the inner bay between them.
All-inclusive — no surprise extras
Yacht, crew, fuel, mooring, marina fees at Puerto Bahía, full provisioning. The permitted whale-watching transfer, restaurant nights ashore, and the El Limón shore excursion are billed at end-of-charter cost.
Sailing this route with RexSailing
A four-month sailing year
We sail Samaná December 1 through May 15 — and close June through November while the Atlantic hurricane season runs. It is a short, deliberate season, built entirely around the months the whales are in the bay and the weather is settled. A feature of the destination, not a compromise.
Truly private
Your party, your boat, your week. No shared groups, no fixed itinerary — each day shaped on the morning of, around weather, tides into the mangroves, and where the whales are working the bay.
All-inclusive
The yacht, the crew, the food, the wine, the marina fees, the mooring, the customs. The permitted whale-watching transfer, restaurant bills ashore in Las Terrenas, and the El Limón excursion are billed at end-of-charter cost.
Pair this charter with
Samaná Yacht Charter
The main hub — every Samaná charter option, from half-day sails to flagship weeks aboard Cap II.
Explore →
Samaná Week Charter
The seven-night week in full — route, rates, and what each day looks like across the bay.
Explore →
Marina Puerto Bahía
The home base — 107 slips on the north shore of the bay, paired with the Bannister Hotel.
Explore →
Los Haitises Day Sail
The flagship day from the marina — karst mogotes, mangrove channels, and Taíno caves.
Explore →
Cayo Levantado Day Trip
The classic day to Bacardi Island — palm-fringed white sand, four miles from Puerto Bahía.
Explore →
Before you enquire
When exactly is the whale season?
The official Samaná humpback season runs January 15 through March 31, with peak presence from late January through late March. We base the fleet in Samaná from December 1 through May 15, which means the December and early-May weeks are shoulder weeks — quieter on the water, with whales arriving or thinning out. Mid-season weeks (mid-January through late March) are reliably dense.
Where do we join the yacht?
Marina Puerto Bahía, on the north shore of Samaná Bay at Santa Bárbara de Samaná. Most guests fly into Samaná El Catey International (AZS) — direct from Montreal and Toronto (Air Canada), Quebec City (Air Transat), and Paris-Orly (Air Caraïbes) — and we arrange a private transfer to the marina, about forty-five minutes by road. There are no direct US flights; American guests typically connect via Santo Domingo (SDQ, ~2.5 hr drive) or Puerto Plata (POP, ~3 hr drive). Many guests stay a few nights at a villa in Las Terrenas first and transfer over on boarding day.
How do we actually see the whales?
Two ways, and you get both. From the yacht we cruise the bay and the approaches to Los Haitises, where humpbacks are frequently visible from deck — breaching, tail-slapping, mothers swimming with calves. For the close approach, guests transfer to a permitted whale-watching boat operated by one of the 46 ASDUBAHISA / Ministry of Environment authorized operators. We coordinate the transfer; the close-approach operator holds the permit. The framework is regulated by the Navy and the Ministry of Environment — only authorized boats may approach.
Is the food onboard?
Yes — three meals a day, prepared by our chef, drawn from what we provision at Puerto Bahía and Las Terrenas and what we catch underway. Expect Dominican coastal cooking with French and Italian influences from the Las Terrenas markets — local fish, plantain, fresh fruit. A restaurant night ashore in Las Terrenas or at the marina's Bannister Hotel is scheduled into the week on request.
Samaná weeks run from December 1 through May 15 only — a short season, by private introduction. Tell us your dates and party size, and we will hold the boat while we shape the rest.
Find the Right Yacht for Your Charter
Tell us your dates, group size, and preferred experience - we will match you with the ideal yacht.
Private proposals within 48 hours · Enquiries handled discreetly
RexSailing · Marina Puerto Bahía · Samaná, Dominican Republic