Silver Bank, a Sensational Cetacean Sanctuary

Relax, take a deep breath, and try not to overthink what’s about to happen. The adrenaline courses through our veins as, at our experienced guide’s command, our small group slips quietly, with minimal disturbance, into the northern perimeter of the Caribbean Sea.

Swapping the comfort of the known cobalt skies above, we enter the mysterious aqueous world below, about which we know so little, and take an involuntary gasp (in as much as it’s possible to do so in a snorkel) as the whale materialises in its full glorious entirety directly before us.

Our disbelieving eyes are by now wide open with wonder as we stare at it in astonishment while floating passively at the surface. As it contemplates and accepts our arrival, it turns with grace and fluidity, using super slow movements that belie its great bulk.

Intelligence oozes from every pore as its inquisitive nature mirrors our own, and we just can’t help it when grins the size of a full moon rising burst forth and a deluge of emotion rushes to infuse our absolutely addled minds. Elation. Awe. Delight. Incredulity. Reverence. And perhaps above all, respect.

What enormous trust is being demonstrated here, as the whale allows such a destructive creature as us to not only enter, but to share its world for a precious while. Although our sense of time disappears, we’re acutely aware that we’ve stepped out from behind a lens and have literally become the Attenborough documentary. My word, this is another level, spiritual almost, and there are not enough superlatives in the world to describe it.

Up until now, many of us have had the great fortune to whale watch all over the world, but it has been precisely that, whale watching. On the surface they’ve provided frequent and often fleeting glimpses of fins, tails, blows and breaches, offering snippets of a larger whole, a tantalising taster that has led us here to the sanctuary of Silver Bank in the Dominican Republic, the most important breeding and birthing area for literally thousands of humpbacks in the North Atlantic.

Our private charter of Turks & Caicos Explorer II places us in the heart of the action, slap bang in the middle of the season - my February departure can’t come soon enough. Our vessel is one of a handful permitted into this strictly regulated area where not only can we observe whales but (conditions permitting) we can swim with them too. On their terms only, this is a complete and utter privilege.

Encounters with courting ‘dancers’ are enhanced by ‘singers’, where in their natural habitat we hope to not only hear the melodies as males try to attract females, but to actually feel the sound waves reverberating through the water. With luck, we can observe intimate moments between nursing mothers and curious calves, creating mesmerising and breathtaking memories in the process.

Inevitably, the ocean will reclaim its own as the whales, with a lazy thrust of their tails, drift silently away from us. Moving effortlessly and almost imperceptibly out of sight, they leave us wanting more, so much more.

Later, as the sun sinks below the horizon, we reflect on the enormity of our experiences and thank our lucky stars that for one week at least, there’s always tomorrow...

If you'd love the opportunity to swim with incredible humpback whales in their natural environment, check out the full itinerary of our Snorkelling with Humpbacks on Silver Bank today or contact our team to find out more.