Hello and Welcome Back!
It is good to be back in touch again after taking a bit of a hiatus from our Whale eMailnewsletters. I hope your past few months have been kind to you. Now Conscious Breath Adventures is back on the Silver Bank and looking forward to sharing with you our next few months with the incredible – and huge – humpback whales of the Silver Bank, here in our weekly Cruise Reports!
The Silver Bank is back in action and we are fortunate and delighted to be part of it all for this, our 17th season on the Silver Bank. For those who are just coming across Conscious Breath Adventures, or the Silver Bank, or humpback whales, for the first time, this bank about 70 miles off the North coast of the Dominican Republic is the largest known breeding ground of the North Atlantic humpback whale. Each year between December and May, thousands of humpbacks come to the Silver Bank and surrounding waters to court and mate or, for the pregnant females, to give birth and nurture their calves – and be admired by us humans. The whales leave their feeding grounds in the higher latitudes to reach these warm, protected areas, rarely visited by their various predators, making them a safe haven for newborn calves.
Our expeditions run from mid-January to the start of April each year, to make sure that by the time we arrive, the whale season is in full swing. And, as you may already know, we like to start our seasons with a bang. This year we were delighted to welcome back SubCulture Adventures to kick off our season, a group of seasoned travelers who always bring a joyful and passionate atmosphere with them wherever they go.
We were able to encounter several different ‘whale combos’ in our first week, from the much-loved
tiny curious calf to the relaxed resting adults with nowhere to be who gave everyone the opportunity to really take in the size and magnificence of these beautiful whales. We were able to spend plenty of time in the water with two adults, but they made us wait for this honor, as this was our last encounter of our last day. It seems we have another season ahead of us where our sentient cetacean friends understand the concept of saving the best for last!
That being said, in the middle of the week we happened upon a singer who deserves an honorable mention in the competition for highlight of the week. Alternating groups between boats, our swimmers spent the better part of the morning in the water with him, and the coolest thing about the encounter was that it was slightly spooky. It was quite dark in the water that morning, which meant that when he dove to sing, he ended up out of sight. But he was so loud that we only had to get in the water to listen and feel the musical vibrations anyway. Then when he came up for air, he would ALWAYS come and check us out. We would be listening to his various musical exploits and then there would be a pause before, moments later, he would inevitably come looming up from the exact direction we weren’t expecting him and catch us by surprise.
The tiny calf we saw would probably want to have her (yes, a girl!) encounter described too, and she earned that. It is early in the season and she was very small, maybe a month old, but was already feisty and clearly had a desire to explore the world around her. Our first interaction in the water with her was when she snuck away from mum to come and check us out at the surface. She was quickly reprimanded for this as mum swam up to collect her when she got a little too close. However, mum decided we weren’t too bad after all and let us stay to float in awe for a few breaths. It was a wonderful way to watch a whale! Exercising restraint and 
respect is so important here, not only because the whales deserve to be treated well, but also because when they are, we are rewarded every time with close passes, long swims and beautiful, unforgettable moments. We look forward to many more.
Here’s to next week and thank you for joining us!
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Now Taking Reservations for 2026!
Thank you again for following all the action of our 2025 Silver Bank humpback whale season here in our Cruise Reports! We are really looking forward to it. Our 2025 season is just getting started which can only mean one thing: it is time for you to start thinking about swimming with whales in 2026!
If you are thinking about a cruise to the Silver Bank with us next season, you are not the only one! We are already actively taking reservations for 2026 so if you would like to join us take a look at our Schedule & Availability today and get in touch right away for cabin specifics.