Seasonal· St Martin / Sint Maarten· Leeward Islands
Humpback Whale Season (St Martin)
18° 3.0′ N · 62° 57.0′ W · approximate
From about December to April, humpback whales gather around St Martin, Saba and St Barths to mate and calve. Males sing for up to half an hour at a time, and you may see breaching on the St Barths crossing.
Practical
Coordinate approx: open water east of Oyster Pond, in the marine-mammal protection zone the tourist office describes between Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthelemy. The Saint-Martin tourist office gives December-April as the best months and names Rocher Creole, Tintamarre, Scrub Island (Anguilla) and the waters around St Barths as sighting areas. The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance gives roughly January-May for the windward Dutch islands. Approach rules for boaters (tourist office): never approach resting or surfacing animals; come in from the side and behind, parallel to their path; stay more than 1,000 ft from a group; slow down in the approach zone; go to neutral if whales approach you; spend no more than 30 minutes nearby. Do not surround, split or swim with them. Tours usually leave around 7:30am. Keep a lookout at night and under autopilot on inter-island legs in season.
Best for
Whale sightings on the St Barths and Saba crossings
Season
December-April (peak January-April)
Nearby
- Molly Beday Reef3.3 NM away
- Captain Oliver's Restaurant (Oyster Pond) - Closed3.7 NM away
- Dinghy Dock Bar (Oyster Pond)3.7 NM away
- L'Oasis (Oyster Pond)3.7 NM away
- Big Fish (Coral Beach Club, Oyster Pond)3.8 NM away
- Captain Oliver's Marina (Oyster Pond)3.8 NM away
- Dawn Beach3.8 NM away
- Mare de Baie Lucas Bird Observatory3.8 NM away