Visiting Dominica's Sperm Whales

Dominica is one of only two places in the world where you can be assured of seeing sperm whales. They live off the coast year-round, and for $75, one can sign up for a whale-watching cruise.

Six of us were picked up by a 40-foot open craft with two 150hp outboards and headed off on the open ocean at a blistering 40 knots for half an hour. After slowing down to see a humpback, we continued toward a few small crafts on the horizon.

When we arrived near the other whale-watching boats, a crew member lowered a microphone into the water, and I heard what sounded like a spoon banging on a large metal pan, so loud it can stun prey. We were eight miles off Dominica's northwest coast, where it is about 12,000 feet deep. A declining population of 200-300 sperm whales reside here year-round, diving 7,000 feet or more for up to an hour to feed. (Prized for their oil, they were once easy prey for whaling ships, as their proximity to whale-watching boats demonstrates.)

Younger ones can't dive the full depth, so they hunt at shallower depths and await the return of their family pod - typically, the mother, the youngster's aunts, and older sisters. A juvenile about 20 feet long was not far away, resting near the surface. Suddenly, his family pod arrived, slowly swimming together on the surface, clicking and rubbing against each other. They were about 60 feet long, absent larger males, which are usually away in the springtime.

They relaxed, breathing deeply and spouting to re-oxygenate their blood and muscle tissues. Our boat and the others slowly approached so we could take photos. Though several whales came alongside our boat, we were not to touch them. After 20 minutes, it was tails up and down they went. Soon, another pod rose to the surface, and more photo ops. Then, it was a 30- to 40-knot flight back, beer in hand.

Dominica carefully manages the boats and limits passengers, so make advance reservations through your dive shop or hotel when you plan your trip. You may also see other species, including orcas, false killer whales, and pilot whales.

To snorkel or free dive with them, join a regulated trip; a six-day adventure starts somewhere north of $6000/person. See https://spermwhaleswims.com Amos Nachoum offers trips for $7900. https://biganimals.com Search the web for others.

On May 14, 60 Minutes featured Dominica's sperm whales. You can watch the segment here. https://tinyurl.com/bde7c69m