Samana and Whales

[Big Feet]

I hope CCritic will allow this thread. Samana is about as scary as it gets folks. When you go with your kids and leave the fenced area-- hold on to them.

The landing dock, with so many on it, looks like it will fall into the water at any second. I've never witness such as mass of people. Why??? because no one wants to go outside the gate-- but the holding area around the dock can't hold everyone--- it's like cattle being herded. There may be 100 locals just hanging on the fences HAWKING YOU....... and you have no where to go to get away from them.

We did the Whale Watching last year and I'm here to tell you it was one of the most hideous sites I've ever witnessed. The tour operators--- ALL OF THEM-- chased down this whale and her calf for over an hour we chased her from one end of the bay to the other and like the people at the dock-- she couldn't get away. I can't believe we didn't run them over-- we may have. The other boats in the group were so close the guide made all of us on board don the live jackets--- he thought we may be hit by the other boats since the drivers weren't watching where they were going.

These tours operators and Samana DR don't deserve this type of wildlife. I wrote a letter to RCI last year and the DR gov't about this outrage. RCI won't be going to DR any more in 2015 but it might be due to Quantum taking over RCI's Explorers route not because of the cruelity to animals its promoting using these tour operators. (I know-- "but it's what the people want".)

[MS52]

I can't comment on what you experienced but IMHO, Samana was my favorite port ever. We were there in January 2013. Do your homework before you go and you will have a great day!

[Big Feet]

M--- with over 60 cruises I think I've done my homework. Others can look and judge for themselves. I HAVE NO reason to fabricate anything about my experience there.

There use to be Roattan as one of the worst stops but after many "COMMENTS" on web sites like this (cruise critic) they cleaned up their act.

 

 

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[Off2China]

I hope CCritic will allow this thread. Samana is about as scary as it gets folks. When you go with your kids and leave the fenced area-- hold on to them.

The landing dock, with so many on it, looks like it will fall into the water at any second. I've never witness such as mass of people. Why??? because no one wants to go outside the gate-- but the holding area around the dock can't hold everyone--- it's like cattle being herded. There may be 100 locals just hanging on the fences HAWKING YOU....... and you have no where to go to get away from them.

We did the Whale Watching last year and I'm here to tell you it was one of the most hideous sites I've ever witnessed. The tour operators--- ALL OF THEM-- chased down this whale and her calf for over an hour we chased her from one end of the bay to the other and like the people at the dock-- she couldn't get away. I can't believe we didn't run them over-- we may have. The other boats in the group were so close the guide made all of us on board don the live jackets--- he thought we may be hit by the other boats since the drivers weren't watching where they were going.

These tours operators and Samana DR don't deserve this type of wildlife. I wrote a letter to RCI last year and the DR gov't about this outrage. RCI won't be going to DR any more in 2015 but it might be due to Quantum taking over RCI's Explorers route not because of the cruelity to animals its promoting using these tour operators. (I know-- "but it's what the people want".)

 

We weren't there on a cruise but have done the whale watching tour in Samana. NEVER AGAIN!! Had I known we were going to be in a small boat driven by a maniac we wouldn't have gone in the first place. Our experience was exactly like yours--very scary. I was truly worried that the mama whale would use her tail to either flip us or smash us.

 

I had tried to book a tour with Kim Beddall but wasn't able to make contact with her. It would have been an entirely different experience with her, I'm sure. http://www.whalesamana.com/