The Great Migration

By mid-to-late March, the waters of Samaná Bay begin to quiet down. The magnificent Humpback whales that spent the winter mating and nursing their newborns are ready for the next phase of their incredible lives. But where exactly do they go when they leave the warm, protected shores of the Dominican Republic? The answer lies over 4,000 kilometers away, in the icy, nutrient-rich waters of the North Atlantic.

Their destination includes areas like the Gulf of Maine, the coast of Canada, Iceland, and Greenland. Why leave paradise for freezing waters? Food! Remember, adult Humpbacks do not eat during their entire stay in the Caribbean. By the time they start their journey north, they are running on empty. The northern waters in summer are blooming with krill and small schooling fish, providing an all-you-can-eat buffet that the whales desperately need to rebuild their blubber.

The incredible shift from the Caribbean to the North:

• The Feeding Frenzy: Once they arrive north, their behavior changes entirely. The focus shifts from mating and fighting to cooperative feeding.

• Bubble-Net Feeding: You might see groups of whales blowing circles of bubbles to trap schools of fish, a highly intelligent and coordinated hunting technique.

• The Long Swim: The journey takes several weeks. Mothers travel slowly to ensure their newly born calves can keep up and continue to nurse along the way.

While they may spend their summers feasting in the cold, their hearts (and their birthplace) remain in the warm Caribbean. It’s a spectacular cycle of life that connects the Dominican Republic to the rest of the world.