ITINERARY

Because of how Dominica’s permitting system works, each trip is run in a pair with another, allocating five "swim-with” days to each group.

In a practical sense, that means we normally begin Trip A on a Sunday, run that trip’s land day on the Monday, and run the boat days from Tuesday through Saturday, departing the next Sunday. Trip B would begin on a Saturday, start on the boat from Sunday through Thursday, have their land day on Friday, and depart the next Saturday. This means that both trips overlap one night as to not violate the permit conditions.

Each trip includes 5 “swim-with” days, where we head out from Portsmouth on our boat in search of sperm whales to observe from in the water.

Our crew contains a captain, deckhand, and two guides; one skilled with locating the sperm whales by sound using the hydrophone. Using only sound as transmitted through a modified uni-directional hydrophone, our guides are able to not only pinpoint their location, but also tell you how many animals are in the group, what they are doing, and which direction they are headed. This skill takes years of honing to get right.

When we locate a group the two guides will divide our group into two swimming teams, leading them into the water one team at a time to observe and swim along side the whales. Our guides will explain their behaviour at the time, to best position you to observe their behaviour.

Most of the time (80%) the whales are foraging. This involves regular 45 minute dives to depts of between 600-1200 metres to find diamondback squid to eat. They then surface for 10-15 minutes to re-oxygenate their thick blood before returning to feed.

Other times we may observe them socializing, using code communication clicks to communicate with each other (and sometimes you). They also sleep near the surface in a group vertical formation with their head positioned upwards. While difficult to find, it is one of the most incredible things to observe from in the water.

Sunday :: Day 1 :: Arrivals

Arrivals throughout the day. Our meeting place is in Portsmouth, on the northwest end of Dominica.

Monday :: Day 2 :: Land Excursion

Today we’ll head out to explore the nature of Dominica on a full day land excursion (shaped by local conditions and our desire to avoid the crowds brought in by cruise ships). We typically explore the capital, Roseau, visit waterfalls tucked into the rainforest, soak in natural hot springs, and end the day with a shared meal. Depending on the week, we may also head to the island’s wild east coast or forest-covered centre. No two weeks are the same, this day is about connecting beyond the water.

Tuesday~Saturday :: Days 3~7 :: On Water

As wind, weather, and swells affect the trip, the daily schedule changes throughout the week and your trip leader announces the next day’s plan the day before.

A sample schedule for a day during the week looks like this:

• 08:00 Breakfast and morning briefing.

• 08:45 Departure from the hotel to the port.

• 09:00 Head out to find the whales

• 15:00 Return to shore, change out of wet/salty gear, shower, chill.

• 17:00 Optional workshop or lecture (photo/editing, whales, etc).

• 18:00 Dinner at a local restaurant.

Sunday :: Day 8 :: Departures

We arrange airport shuttled from the hotel to bring you back to Dominica’s international airport three hours before your scheduled flight (meaning you’ll arrive at the airport with two hours to spare before your flight, which is plenty of time in Dominica’s small airport).