BY INVITATION ONLY
FREE DIVING WITH SPERM WHALES
PORTSMOUTH, DOMINICA | FEBRUARY 17-24, 2024
Tuition from $5,090 USD.
HOSTED BY
PIER NIRANDARA
Best-selling author, journalist, diver, expedition leader, and underwater photog. Based in LA / South Africa / Thailand.
MATT REICHEL
Award-winning photojournalist, geopolitics/nature nerd, underwater photog, and expedition leader. Based in Mexico.
ADMISSIONS
READ BEFORE JOINING
Admission to this program is offered by invitation only. Each participant should confidently be able to swim at least 300 meters in open water at any given time without the use of a floatation device or boat support. Free diving certification is not required to join this program.
Please read our policies before deciding to sign up. All participants must agree to these policies in order to participate.
WHAT’S COVERED
The program tuition is $5090 for a spot in a shared (twin) room, or $5490 for a single room. Upgrades to beach cottages are available upon request for a fee depending on availability.
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· 7 nights of accommodation.
· Breakfasts and lunches daily.
· 5 full days on a private catamaran.
· Whale guides.
· Photographers and lessons.
· Sperm whale swimming permits.
· Airport transfers. -
· Dinners.
· Optional activities.
· Insurance.
· Personal spending.
· All gear.
· International flights.
SIGN UP NOW
The Catamaran
Enjoy your time on the water in search of whales on Passion, a private 72-foot catamaran with a net trampoline up front. The boat is catered daily with lunch, snacks, and drinks.
As it takes a lot of time and effort to locate sperm whales, including using onboard echo locating technology, we use the boat in full-day 8-hour sessions, five days per trip.
Andrew, a local Dominican whale-whisperer, accompanies us in the water. As sperm whales are easy to spook, we will divide into two small groups of 3-4 people per swim.
The Sperm Whales
The sperm whale is the largest toothed predator on Earth. Approximately 200 sperm whales are resident in the southern Caribbean, found off the west coasts between Dominica and St Vincent.
Females and young males live together in groups, while mature males live solitary lives outside of the mating season. Females care for the calves for more than a decade.
Fully grown adults average 50 feet in length and can plunge nearly 7,500 feet underwater to hunt for squid. Sperm whales have the largest brains and produce the loudest sound of any animal.
THE ISLAND
The island of Dominica is often known as "The Nature Island" due to its spectacular, lush, and varied flora and fauna, which are protected by an extensive natural park system.
The most mountainous island of the Lesser Antilles, its volcanic peaks are cones of lava craters and include Boiling Lake, the second-largest thermally active lake in the world.
Unlike other Caribbean islands, Dominica is not known for its beaches. Rather, its hiking trails, nature walks, hot springs, and pelagic wildlife are what attract visitors to the island.