Whale and dolphin watching trip

Dominica is one of very few places where sperm whales can be found in every month of the year. Females and young stay in these deep leeward waters all year, and the big males come down from colder seas to mate, so November to March is when sightings peak. The sea floor falls away so steeply off the west coast that the deep water starts close to shore.

Boats leave Roseau for three hours or so. The crew drops a hydrophone over the side to listen for the clicks of feeding sperm whales, then waits for one to surface, blow and fluke before it dives for the best part of an hour. Pilot whales, false killer whales and humpbacks also turn up, and spinner, spotted, Fraser's and bottlenose dolphins are the near-certain consolation on a day the whales stay down. The responsible boats follow a code of conduct and do not bait or chase. Swimming with the whales is not part of these trips.

Small boats with a cap of around eight people go most days. The larger dive-shop trips run on set afternoons through the season, with juice and rum punch on the way home.