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  • Sperm whales in Dominica

Sperm whale Experiences and Encounters

Staring down into the bright blue waters of the Caribbean from your small boat, you wait, engine off. Under the surface emerges a huge mass of grey, and that is it, time to delve under the surface as swimming just beneath, awaiting your visit, is the largest toothed carnivore on earth.

 

Easy and calm to approach, they pose no danger as you’re dwarfed in their presence. Taking time to photograph them, and be photographed alongside them, you bathe in the warm waters of Dominica together.

 

Our sperm whale safari offers you the chance to swim with, and be photographed alongside, these gentle giants as they congregate in the warm waters, and spend a week in tropical Dominica. A unique opportunity to travel in a group of just four guests with our expert guides.

Delve into the warm Caribbean waters to swim alongside some of the world's most charismatic whales

NEXT STEPS

• Take a look at our Dominica holidays
• Browse our free whale guide
• Contact our Destination Specialist for advice

sperm whale safari gallery

Sperm whales in Dominica
Sperm whales in Dominica
Sperm whales in Dominica

swim with sperm whales

In tropical Dominica you can head out with researchers and actually swim with the sperm whales.

Swim with Sperm Whales in Dominica
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whale babies

Seeing a sperm whale with its calf is truly magical, a real once in a lifetime experience.

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whale watching

Sperm whales can often be seen in large pods; see them from the water, from a boat, or whale watching from the coast.

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Expert view: Will Bolsover 

Expert view: Will Bolsover 

Swimming with sperm whales is one of those life stopping moments that sooner or later you are going to have to do. Slower paced than the big blue whales, sperm whales spend longer on the water's surface making it easier to calmly get into the water alongside them as they cruise through the crystal clear Caribbean waters.

Sperm whales in Dominica

the sperm whale

The largest of the toothed whales, these huge animals are quite easily recognisable by their huge, box-shaped heads. In fact, they have the largest brains of any animal, weighing about 9 kilos. These big heads aren’t just full of brain though, they also contain a substance called spermaceti (hence the name), an oily fluid that was originally believed by sea-folk to be sperm. The substance hardens like wax when it gets cold which has led to the most common theory that it helps alter the whale’s buoyancy.


Sperm whales are deep divers, reaching 1,000 metres and staying under the water for as much as 1.5 hours in search of their favourite food, squid. The bottom jaw of the whale is very long and narrow with the teeth slotting into sockets in the upper jaw when their mouth is closed. They also have an extremely large and flexible fluke (tail), proportionally much bigger than the other whale species helping them achieve speeds of up to 27 miles per hour.


Sperm whales live close to the surface of the water, diving deep to get food. 

Sperm whales are one of the most widespread species on the planet and can be seen in many oceans, from Costa Rica and Sri Lanka to Canada and even Antarctica.

sperm whale facts

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CONSERVATION STATUS Sperm whales are currently listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Despite severe whaling in the past, the numbers are still fairly high.
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HABITAT These huge whales are very widespread, living in most of the world’s oceans.
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LENGTH Males can reach 16 metres, with females being slightly smaller; their heads take up a third of their total length.
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INTERESTING FACT Sperm whales can often be seen logging or lob-tailing and are very vocal, using echolocation to locate and catch prey in the dark ocean depths.

The Best Sperm Whale Watching Holidays

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Why book with us

We are destination specialists

Our team of specialists have extensive on-the-ground knowledge and have all lived, guided or explored in great detail the destinations that they sell. They will design your journey around you, at the right place at the right time.

We are wildlife specialists

As a leading specialist operator we have excellent partnerships with naturalists and conservationists. We know our wildlife and do what we can to preserve its natural habitat.

We really care about our destinations

At Natural World Safaris we frequently monitor the social, economic and environmental impact of our travel operations to ensure we are at the forefront of a sustainable and ethical tourism industry. 

Swimming with blue whales in Sri Lanka

Your Next Steps

Download our whale travel guide, or talk to one of our specialists for more details on seeing whales in the wild. Please note we recommend a budget of from  £7,000 / $10,000 USD per person for our style of trip to this destination.