Thousands of humpback whales gather and frolic off the coast of the Dominican Republic every winter, but only a small percentage of people have the opportunity to swim along with them and see the gentle giants up close. Laurie Senty of Grand Marais was among those lucky few, calling the experience “peaceful and exciting…all at the same time.”
Before traveling to the Silver Bank off of the coast of the Dominican Republic, Laurie Senty, 57, had never gone swimming in the ocean. After a few dips in the water, she was ready for the adventure of a lifetime.
A noted endurance athlete— Laurie has competed in triathlons, marathons, and trail races, and worked most of her life with her husband Mike as a log home builder—Senty doesn’t shy away from much.
Thousands of whales gather at Silver Bank every winter to mate and calve, and tours take guests out in custom whaleboats to observe the whales, or in the case of Senty and the group she was with, to swim with the gentle giants of the ocean.
“I had the incredible opportunity to be one of 500 people who went snorkeling with humpback whales in the warm clear waters of the Silver Bank off the coast of the Dominican Republic,” said Senty. “The Silver Bank is a limestone submerged plateau. The bank is 100 feet deep or less, which provides a safe place for the whales to breed and give birth. It is a sanctuary protected and supervised by the Dominican Republic.”
Swimming with whales for a novice can’t be comfortable, and Senty explained how the process worked.
“We spent our days, leaving the bigger boat on small tenders looking for safe opportunities to get in the water with the whales. When it was time to get in the water with the whales, our captain would enter the water first and locate the whales.
“We were instructed to sit on the edge of the tender, and when everyone was ready the boat driver would say go, and we could quietly enter the water. I slid off the tender and started swimming towards Gene, our captain. He pointed, and I saw the white pec fin and an outline of the resting whales. We floated in a line above the whales and waited for them to rise for a breath. The whales started to stir. They slowly and quietly floated to the surface very close to us and blew a big blast of air. The whales did this a couple times and then settled near the bottom again.”
A little bit about the whales
Adult females are larger than males, reaching a length of up to 60 feet and weighing about 79,000 pounds. Pectoral fins can reach 15 feet in height. Newborns are about 15 feet long, and nurse for six months, then combine eating food and nursing for the next six months. Adults are known for their aerial displays, or slapping the water with their pectoral fins, tails, or heads. Humpbacks have the longest recorded migration of any mammal, with a journey of 11,700 miles from American Samoa to the Antarctic Peninsula. The whales tend to breed every two to three years. Males are famous for their complex song, which can last 10 to 20 minutes. Humpbacks are noted for being friendly, and have been spotted playing with dolphins.
What was it like to have the largest mammals ever to inhabit the earth so close to you?
“It is a peaceful and exciting experience all at the same time,” said Senty. “I looked down in awe of these amazing giants in the water. I was relieved and excited to have my first chance to be in the water with the whales.
“Sometimes this trip is about patience, waiting, watching and appreciating every encounter we were able to participate in. This one morning after quite a bit of searching, we were able to get in the water with two resting whales. The water was clear, and as the female came up to take a breath, she turned over belly up and wrapped her pectoral fins towards us as if she was embracing our whole group in a loving hug.
“One of my favorite moments was when I was in the water with a one-year-old female. She turned and looked right into my eyes before swimming to explore another reef. It was a special moment to be so close to a young whale in the first year of her life and to see all the curiosity and playfulness.
“During another encounter, we spent a couple of hours with a male and female that were resting. I could feel a sense of protection and caring as I watched from above. The male and female settled in the very clear water, and I could see the markings on their pec fins. The male rested just above the female with their heads close, and it looked like they were almost touching.
“Every 15 minutes the male would come up to breathe. One time he floated slowly very close to me, and I looked directly into his eyes. He was just as curious about me as I was of him. It felt like we were meeting each other. When a whale looks at you, right into your eyes, it is like it fills your whole body with love and blows your heart wide open.
“The male settled down next to the female with his pectoral fins almost touching hers as if they were holding hands. Soon, the female was ready to come up for a breath. They both rose quietly in the water. It was powerful to watch as these two huge whales turned directly to me and swam towards me. They turned about 10 feet from me and floated to the surface. All of this is like it is in slow motion.
“It was fun to see them so close. I lifted my head out of the water just in time to see two gigantic whales blast out their breath and take a long breath in. Sometimes after an encounter with the whales, you just smile big and scream, ‘Wow!’”
Will you go back?
“I am planning on taking a small group of people to swim with the humpback whales in February 2018. Email me at lauriesenty@gmail.com for more information if you want to be a part of a small percentage of people on this planet fortunate enough to experience this amazing place.”
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