Schedule & Availability

Conscious Breath Adventures operates our eleven week itinerary at the peak of the humpback whales’ winter breeding season. The whales are on the Silver Bank from early January through the end of April and more. Our cruise dates are bracketed within this longer period that the whales are on the Silver Bank. This ensures that no matter which week they travel our guests will not only see a large number of whales but will have the maximum number of opportunities to encounter them in the water, too.

Please note that guests board the vessel on Saturday at 5:00 PM, and disembark the following Saturday at 8:00 AM. On the Saturday of boarding, it is very important that guests allow sufficient travel time to arrive at the marina well ahead of the vessel’s scheduled departure time. Due to the specialized nature of the itinerary there can be no delayed departure of the vessel as a result of travel complications involving passengers or their baggage. To minimize this risk, passengers are advised to arrive in the Dominican Republic one or more days ahead of the date of embarkation.

Conscious Breath Adventures strives to keep this schedule up to date. However, if you do not see dates available that suit your schedule please Contact Us. Accommodations may be available that are not reflected online or we can add you to our waiting list. We do not travel to the Silver Bank outside of the start and finish dates shown below, nor do we operate any trips shorter than one week in duration.

Please use the contact form above to make a reservation to swim with humpback whales. Once we have received your request, we will be in contact with additional information, including how to place a deposit to secure your place.

Costs

• Sanctuary Access & Port Fees: $450 per person.
• Fuel Surcharge: surcharge set in December for the following season; currently estimated at $50.
• All Fares, Fees & Surcharges are subject to change.
• Group rates are available. Dates and availability for groups are limited. Please contact Conscious Breath Adventures for details

What’s Included

• Seven nights accommodations aboard, starting with guests boarding Saturday evening approximately 5:00 pm; and disembarking the following Saturday morning at approximately 8:00 am.
• The excursion is seven nights and six days. Your arrival/departure days are included in those six.
• You will have five days on the Silver Bank with up to four and one half (4.5) days of tender time to look for whales (up to nine tender excursions), weather permitting as per Sanctuary rules.
• Three meals a day aboard the vessel, except for the last (Friday) night, which will be ashore.
• Morning and afternoon snack.
• All beverages, including carbonated, non-carbonated, and alcoholic (a limited selection of beer (local) and wine) are provided. Hard alcoholic beverages will not be provided, but may be brought on board the vessel if desired.
• Fresh towel service upon request.
• Entertainment library.

What’s Not Included

• Any airfare or airfare related expenses.
• Tourist Card required at arrival airport.
• Excess baggage/lost baggage charges.
• Transfers to and from or between airport, hotel, vessel, bus station, tours; any ground transportation.
• Hotels or any type of shore accommodations.
• Any required airport departure taxes.
• Sanctuary & Port Fees (currently $450 pp, fees subject to change).
• Any Fuel Surcharges (currently estimated at $50 pp, surcharge subject to change).
• Gratuity for Crew (10% of fare suggested).
• Any additional Permit Fees required for professional photography or videography in the Sanctuary.
• Dinner the last (Friday) night, which will be ashore.
• Distilled spirits or hard alcohol beyond the supplied beer (local) and wine.
• Snorkeling and/or camera/video equipment rental.
• Souvenir purchases (Photo/Video/Audio complilations, t-shirts, etc).

Also Highly Recommended

Insurance:

• Comprehensive accident, medical, baggage and trip cancellation/interruption insurance.
• Dive Insurance

Conscious Breath Adventures strongly recommends that each guest purchase comprehensive accident, medical, baggage and trip cancellation and interruption insurance when space is reserved. Trip insurance will protect you from financial disappointment if you are prevented from making your scheduled trip due to illness or family illness, or in the event that unforeseen circumstances prevent the vessel from making its scheduled trip. In an event where it is necessary to cancel or interrupt a charter due to weather or any matter beyond the control of the servicing vessel and therefore Conscious Breath Adventures, there will be no refund or credit issued. We also recommend diving accident insurance, which provides coverage while snorkeling as well.

Terms and Conditions

All payments are non-refundable and non-transferable.

For a reservation and payment schedule, a verbal, faxed, or emailed reservation will be held for seven days. A non-refundable, non-transferable deposit of US$1,000.00 must be received within seven days to process and confirm a reservation. For reservations placed more than one year before the date of embarkation, the deposit is $500.00 with a second $500.00 due April 15 of the year before travel. A second non-refundable payment of US$1,250.00 is to be paid no later than September 7 and the non-refundable final payment of the balance due is to be paid no later than December 15 for the following January-April season, along with the $450 Sanctuary Access & Port Fee for each passenger.

Group rates are available. Dates and availability are limited. Please contact Conscious Breath Adventures for details.

Fares are subject to change.

Sanctuary Access & Port Fees are subject to change at any time, up to and including the day of embarkation aboard the servicing vessel. The current $450 per person Sanctuary and Port Fee is to be paid no later than December 15 for the following January-April season.

Fuel Surcharges are subject to change. If Conscious Breath Adventures is advised of a change in the current Fuel Surcharges, we will inform the passenger immediately. Fuel Surcharges, if any, are set in mid December to most accurately predict the cost of fuel for the following January-April season, and are paid in advance or aboard. As a reference, Fuel Surcharges are currently estimated to be $50 per person.

Sanctuary & Port Fees and any Fuel Surcharges are non-commissionable.

Professional photographers and videographers must identify themselves as such and undergo a separate application and permitting process with the Dominican authorities governing the Sanctuary. Any additional fees required are the responsibility of the person or persons making the application.

Charter Application & Liability Release: All passengers are required to complete an Charter Application when placing their reservation and sign a Liability Release upon boarding. A sample Liability Release form will be included with the information package provided when placing a reservation.

Dietary Requirements: Passengers with special dietary requirements will inform the Conscious Breath Adventures office of these needs 90 days before boarding.