Highlights
- Los Haitises: the mangroves, the caves, Cayo de los Pájaros
- Lunch at Paraíso Caño Hondo, with dessert and coffee
- The natural pools at Caño Hondo
- Zipline and kayak can be added, $15 each
- A private trip — you book the boat
Description
Out from Moto Marina’s own dock with a guide towards Los Haitises: Cayo de los Pájaros, Boca de Tiburón, the mangroves and the caves. Water, soft drinks, rum, and strips of coconut and pineapple on board. Around midday the boat reaches Paraíso Caño Hondo, where lunch is a buffet with a soft drink, dessert and coffee, and there is time in the natural pools before the run back to the dock. A zipline run and a kayak can be added, $15 per person each. Moto Marina runs this one privately: you book the boat rather than a seat. Write to them for a quote — what it costs depends on which of their boats you take and how many of you there are.
What's Included
What's NOT Included
What to Bring
Meeting Point
Moto Marina’s own dock, Av. La Marina 3, Samaná. There is no scheduled departure for this one — agree the date and the boarding time with Moto Marina. Round-trip pickup from hotels in Samaná is available for $10 per person.
Accessibility & Requirements
Moto Marina runs this trip privately, not as a shared departure. The base rate covers one to fifteen people and each person after the fifteenth is $30 more; their largest boat takes eighty. A guide is optional and not in the price. Customer service is mainly in English. The park’s own entrance fee is about $2 per adult, and the price does not include the 18% ITBIS, which is only added if you ask for a fiscal invoice. Children from 4 to 10 pay half price and under-3s go free. Cancelling seven days ahead or more is refunded in full, 72 hours ahead is refunded half, and inside 72 hours there is no refund.
Boat trips out of Samaná town for the humpback whales in Samaná Bay, running every day from 10 January to 15 April. Two versions: a morning trip for the whales only, 9:15 to 12:45, and a full day that adds the afternoon on Cayo Levantado — Bacardi Island — with a buffet lunch and time on the beach, 9:15 to 4:30. Both include the sanctuary entrance fee and a specialist guide. Dominicans and residents get 15% off. A long-established local operator with one of the largest review counts on the peninsula.
Google reviews of Moto Marina Boat Tours
4.6 · 473Reviews from Google
Tyler Powell5 months agoI had an absolutely incredible experience with Moto Marina Tours — truly a five-star operation from start to finish. The whale watching tour itself was unforgettable. Seeing the whales up close was breathtaking, and the scenery throughout the entire trip was just stunning. It’s one of those experiences that really stays with you. At one point during the tour, I did get motion sickness and became pretty sick on the yacht. Even with that moment, the staff went above and beyond in a way that genuinely meant a lot to me. Several team members came to check on me, made sure I was okay, and asked if there was anything I needed. Their kindness, attentiveness, and professionalism really stood out. That level of care speaks volumes about Moto Marina Tours. It’s not just about the tour — it’s about how they treat people. I would highly recommend them to anyone considering a whale watching experience. Truly five stars all the way.See this review on Google
ASK_ME7 months agoI am a super satisfied customer. I did the short version of the tour, without islands and lunch because I came from La Romana, 3:30 hours by taxi to do this tour. All the staff were well trained. I had a guide who spoke 3 international languages and was full of information about these fascinating mammals. The catamarans they use are superb, clean, equipped with a toilet. We were served coconut strips, coca cola and water throughout the tour. The tour cost 48USD/adult (local) or 56USD (tourist) and lasted from 9:30 to 12:30.See this review on Google
Big Legend5 months agoWe booked the whale watching only tour. Ended up being one of our favorite experiences from our trip to the DR. Really recommend booking with MM, while smaller tour operators do exist, I really appreciated their knowledge, and respect for these beautiful animals. Lots of the smaller operators disregarded rules for distances which was sad as many of the whales showed injuries from boat propellers. The tour guide did a good job of making sure everyone had a view at all times, making sure people who were closest to the whales remained seated so the people on the other side of the boat could still see. Also the coconut and Coca Cola at the end of the trip was a nice touch.See this review on Google
