Silver Bank is a submerged reef 100km north of the Dominican Republic that each winter hosts one of the largest humpback whale breeding aggregations on earth. Between mid-January and mid-April, several thousand animals gather here to mate and calve. A handful of licensed operators run week-long liveaboard trips with permitted "soft in-water encounters" — snorkel only, strict guidelines on distance and approach. Outside the season Silver Bank is just an open-ocean reef with no infrastructure; this is a one-season destination.
The year at a glance
- Water
- 25–27 °C
- Viz
- 20–30 m
- Sea
- moderate
- Rain
- low
- Water
- 25–27 °C
- Viz
- 20–30 m
- Sea
- moderate
- Rain
- low
- Water
- 25–27 °C
- Viz
- 20–30 m
- Sea
- moderate
- Rain
- low
- Water
- 25–27 °C
- Viz
- 20–30 m
- Sea
- calm
- Rain
- low
- Water
- 26–28 °C
- Viz
- 20–30 m
- Sea
- calm
- Rain
- moderate
- Water
- 27–29 °C
- Viz
- 20–30 m
- Sea
- calm
- Rain
- moderate
- Water
- 28–30 °C
- Viz
- 20–30 m
- Sea
- calm
- Rain
- moderate
- Water
- 28–30 °C
- Viz
- 20–30 m
- Sea
- moderate
- Rain
- high
- Water
- 28–30 °C
- Viz
- 20–30 m
- Sea
- rough
- Rain
- high
- Water
- 27–29 °C
- Viz
- 20–30 m
- Sea
- rough
- Rain
- high
- Water
- 26–28 °C
- Viz
- 20–30 m
- Sea
- moderate
- Rain
- moderate
- Water
- 25–27 °C
- Viz
- 20–30 m
- Sea
- moderate
- Rain
- low
Signature dive sites
The sites you'll hear about in every briefing.
- 01
Silver Bank shallow reef
Snorkel-only soft-encounter protocol with humpback mothers, calves, and escorts.
What you'll see
Top species with their April status.
Getting there
Gateway
Fly into Puerto Plata (POP). Visa: Visa-free for most nationalities.
Best months
Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr
Avoid
May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec