From mid-January to mid-March, Samaná Bay fills with humpback whales. They come south from the cold North Atlantic feeding grounds to breed, calve, and nurse in the warm, shallow water — and they are remarkably easy to see. A two- or three-hour boat trip out into the bay will usually deliver multiple sightings, with breaches, tail-slaps, and the occasional song-bubbles drifting up beside the hull.
The licensed operators all leave from the waterfront in Samaná town. Choose one with a marine biologist on board if you can; the science briefings make the experience much richer. The bay's protected status means strict approach rules — three boats at a time, no closer than 80 metres — which protects both whales and visitor expectations. Outside the season the whales are gone and so is most of the reason to take a boat out.