Boat Tours
6+ hours
Taking safety measures
Free cancellation
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from
$85
per adult
Moto Marina Tours
Moto Marina Tours
4.5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
Moto Marina Tours ( Knowned before as Moto Marina Club ) Boat Tours & Excursions All Over Samana Bay. The 1st Tour Operator in Town of Samana since 1986. Modern Fleet of 8 Boats, Speed Boats and Sailing Catamaran. Los Haitises National Park Tours + Caves & Mangroves Tours, Sailing Catamaran Tours to Cayo Levantado Island + Snorkeling Tours, Whale Watching Tours in Samana Bay, Dominican Republic. We also do Boat Rentals for your special event.
Santa Barbara de Samana, Dominican Republic
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
232 reviews
Excellent
190
Very good
20
Average
10
Poor
8
Terrible
4
Fitzgerald B
2 contributions
Mar 2020 • Family
Departure by bus from Santo Domingo 6am.
Very nice hostess who makes sure everyone’s questions are answered.
Road trip 2.5 hours, bus ok.
We boarded a very large and comfortable catamaran to see the whales.
We were on water for about 2.5 hours, the guide Eliana was beyond beautiful and extremely prepared describing all about jorobada whales.
We saw a dozen whales 🐋. Unfortunately on that day they were a little far to see, but we saw one jump outside the water. We saw a baby whale and mother etc...
We rested in a beautiful beach on a small island.
Ate and headed back.
I will do it again January 15 to March 15.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Very nice hostess who makes sure everyone’s questions are answered.
Road trip 2.5 hours, bus ok.
We boarded a very large and comfortable catamaran to see the whales.
We were on water for about 2.5 hours, the guide Eliana was beyond beautiful and extremely prepared describing all about jorobada whales.
We saw a dozen whales 🐋. Unfortunately on that day they were a little far to see, but we saw one jump outside the water. We saw a baby whale and mother etc...
We rested in a beautiful beach on a small island.
Ate and headed back.
I will do it again January 15 to March 15.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Written March 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paul Lee
1 contribution
Feb 2020 • Friends
SUPER RECOMMENDED! We went whale watching and it was amazing. The crew had amazing energy and they had a lot of information on the whales as well as a couple of jokes as they guided us around the bay. We saw a lot of whales including some babies. They passed out free ice cold coke and water as well as slices of coconuts. After the watching the whales we went to a beautiful island with white sands and crystal clear waters. She's been on a couple of other whale tours here in Samana and Moto Marina has been by far the best experience. The boat and the crew were very focused on us having a fun safe experience. Perfect amount of time whale watching and at the beach and the food was really good.
Written March 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LJuis
Miami, FL21 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
Marvelous experience. Timing plus the expertise if the captain and the crew were exceptional. At a close, yet safe, distance we saw the whales. This incredible mammals waved their fins, raised their tails, and amazing enough performed different kind of jumps.
Moreover, the crew is well prepared. Not only were they helpful their knowledge about those whales was nourishing.
We sailed to sightsee the humpback whales, after having spent a while at the beach in Cayo Levantado. Which was a spectacular beach, the color of the water is beautiful and the white sand was an excellent pair.
At last we switched boats, on which we sailed for a while to watch the sunset. Nonetheless the new crew members from Moto Marina were as attentive to our wants and needs as the previous crew.
Merry experience.
Moreover, the crew is well prepared. Not only were they helpful their knowledge about those whales was nourishing.
We sailed to sightsee the humpback whales, after having spent a while at the beach in Cayo Levantado. Which was a spectacular beach, the color of the water is beautiful and the white sand was an excellent pair.
At last we switched boats, on which we sailed for a while to watch the sunset. Nonetheless the new crew members from Moto Marina were as attentive to our wants and needs as the previous crew.
Merry experience.
Written February 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Becky C
Vancouver, Canada62 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
The whale watching in the morning was great, although brief. The guide was informative but we did expect to see more whales based on how they talk about the season here. They offer one pop/water on board.
After our 30 min of closer whale encounter time was up, we were dropped at the beach for lunch. The food was terrible. It was literally the cheapest food that could be served and nothing was done to make it taste better. Salad was shredded cabbage with unripe tomatoes and olive oil. There was spaghetti with the most tasteless tomato sauce available. The chicken was gristle and fatty and chewy. The "fish noodle soup" was excessively fishy and salty & unappealing. I wasn't expecting gourmet but I did expect better.
We were left at the beach for 4 hrs. It is a beautiful spot but it was too long and we only got one water/pop with lunch so we were hungry and dehydrated by the end of the time.
I would recommend that anyone with an inclusive just do the half day tour. Go back to your own beach, eat your better food and drink what you want.
After our 30 min of closer whale encounter time was up, we were dropped at the beach for lunch. The food was terrible. It was literally the cheapest food that could be served and nothing was done to make it taste better. Salad was shredded cabbage with unripe tomatoes and olive oil. There was spaghetti with the most tasteless tomato sauce available. The chicken was gristle and fatty and chewy. The "fish noodle soup" was excessively fishy and salty & unappealing. I wasn't expecting gourmet but I did expect better.
We were left at the beach for 4 hrs. It is a beautiful spot but it was too long and we only got one water/pop with lunch so we were hungry and dehydrated by the end of the time.
I would recommend that anyone with an inclusive just do the half day tour. Go back to your own beach, eat your better food and drink what you want.
Written January 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JD Santos
8 contributions
Dec 2020 • Friends
We booked a catamaran to celebrate my 40th birthday going to Cayo Levantado and doing some snorkeling and couldn’t be happier. Everything was on time, the staff was very professional and their service and attentions were a pleasure. From serving snacks with fresh coconut and pineapple and going around the boat serving water and soft drinks to all the guests, to helping us lift and carry our coolers and cooking us a great buffet meal at Cayo Levantado. They also took the time to take us to a great snorkeling spot with a sunken ship and sail us around the bay showing us differemt beaches in the area. It will be an unforgettable trip! Thank you Moto Marina!
Written December 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ihhashi
Newbury, UK113 contributions
Mar 2022 • Solo
I did the tour to los haitises national park and the. Cato levantado
Within minutes of being in the boat we were offered drinks - rum and coke/sprite, with a disposable plastic cup. Once drunk the cups were collected and then another round of drinks with a another cup. During the whole trip I counted we were offered drinks, with a new cup each time, 6 times. There were about 50 people on board, this equates to approx 300 cups per trip per day that will end up in landfill or the ocean. Surely one cup will do and just tell people to hold on to it, or better yet use non disposable cups that can just be reused. This is a tour to a nature park, the park was beautiful but there was no respect for nature. Music blaring from the speakers, the guide loved to talk a lot and very loud. He also pointed out a bat saying this is a nocturnal animal whilst pointing the torch light at it and making noises to try get it to move. At one of the caves were were given another arm band (in addition to the armband already received for being on the tour) so yet more waste is generated.
Cayo levantodo - completely over run with tourism. And again no respect for nature. Local with live conch shells and shelling them right there to sell the shells to tourists..and the tourist were buying them! No snorkelling, as reed appears destroyed, or maybe I was there on a bad day? I asked the guide where to snorkel and he just pointed at the whole beach saying there!
As a tourist I am becoming more and more aware of the impact we have on nature and as such I choose very carefully the activities I support. With the waste generated on this trip and the lack of respect for nature I cannot support this company.
On return from cayo L we were lucky enough to see some whales, the boat driver immediately went straight to them with no respect for distance and of course the whales then left. On re surfacing the boat driver again made a bee line right to them instead of just keeping a distance and enjoying them.
Within minutes of being in the boat we were offered drinks - rum and coke/sprite, with a disposable plastic cup. Once drunk the cups were collected and then another round of drinks with a another cup. During the whole trip I counted we were offered drinks, with a new cup each time, 6 times. There were about 50 people on board, this equates to approx 300 cups per trip per day that will end up in landfill or the ocean. Surely one cup will do and just tell people to hold on to it, or better yet use non disposable cups that can just be reused. This is a tour to a nature park, the park was beautiful but there was no respect for nature. Music blaring from the speakers, the guide loved to talk a lot and very loud. He also pointed out a bat saying this is a nocturnal animal whilst pointing the torch light at it and making noises to try get it to move. At one of the caves were were given another arm band (in addition to the armband already received for being on the tour) so yet more waste is generated.
Cayo levantodo - completely over run with tourism. And again no respect for nature. Local with live conch shells and shelling them right there to sell the shells to tourists..and the tourist were buying them! No snorkelling, as reed appears destroyed, or maybe I was there on a bad day? I asked the guide where to snorkel and he just pointed at the whole beach saying there!
As a tourist I am becoming more and more aware of the impact we have on nature and as such I choose very carefully the activities I support. With the waste generated on this trip and the lack of respect for nature I cannot support this company.
On return from cayo L we were lucky enough to see some whales, the boat driver immediately went straight to them with no respect for distance and of course the whales then left. On re surfacing the boat driver again made a bee line right to them instead of just keeping a distance and enjoying them.
Written March 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mimai L
Paris, France15 contributions
Aug 2022
I booked a Los Haitises (+Cayo Levantado) tour through Moto Marina and have mixed feelings about it.
The staff was super nice and the tour itself was pretty good. Los Haitises is beautiful, although didn't like Cayo Levantado too much, but it's very personal (It felt very touristy, with too many shops, loud music and too many tourists). Even Los Haitises was packed with tourists and perhaps it would be better to limit the number of visitors per year in order to preserve the parc.
Food was good and included in the price, as well as drinks.
Our guide Wilfredo was great, with lots of interesting facts/stories to tell us. One of his coworker, Roberto was also very kind and eager to help, but I didn't like it that he through bits of coconuts (or bread?) to the Pelicans of Los Haitises. Feeding wild animals is really bad for the ecosystem. The animals get used to being fed and end up not being able to hunt for themselves. He also refused to serve me water in the same plastic cup that I had kept and gave me a new cup, probably for my comfort, but why go against a client's wish? I always try my best to reduce waste and one may think that it's useless if only one person does it, but I think that it's better to try to make an effort rather than giving up. In anyway, he should've respected my wish.
I'm not a huge fan of the loud music on the boat either, but they stopped it whenever we were getting close to wild habitats.
Overall, I thought that the tour was worth it and at a reasonable price, but I question the seriousness of the company in terms of respect towards the ecosystem.
The staff was super nice and the tour itself was pretty good. Los Haitises is beautiful, although didn't like Cayo Levantado too much, but it's very personal (It felt very touristy, with too many shops, loud music and too many tourists). Even Los Haitises was packed with tourists and perhaps it would be better to limit the number of visitors per year in order to preserve the parc.
Food was good and included in the price, as well as drinks.
Our guide Wilfredo was great, with lots of interesting facts/stories to tell us. One of his coworker, Roberto was also very kind and eager to help, but I didn't like it that he through bits of coconuts (or bread?) to the Pelicans of Los Haitises. Feeding wild animals is really bad for the ecosystem. The animals get used to being fed and end up not being able to hunt for themselves. He also refused to serve me water in the same plastic cup that I had kept and gave me a new cup, probably for my comfort, but why go against a client's wish? I always try my best to reduce waste and one may think that it's useless if only one person does it, but I think that it's better to try to make an effort rather than giving up. In anyway, he should've respected my wish.
I'm not a huge fan of the loud music on the boat either, but they stopped it whenever we were getting close to wild habitats.
Overall, I thought that the tour was worth it and at a reasonable price, but I question the seriousness of the company in terms of respect towards the ecosystem.
Written August 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lost_Sage
Brooklyn, NY47 contributions
Dec 2022 • Couples
At the recommendation of our hotel, we booked an all-day voyage that included a trip to the Parque National de Haitises & Cayo Levantando. They definitely make the boat ride to each place across Samana Bay entertaining, with rum and soda always available on board! We spent just enough time wandering through the national park’s many inlets, caves, and outcroppings rife with birds. We made several stops on land to see the park’s caves with ancient drawings made by the Tainos. Then, a very exciting (not for the seasick!) dash over to the Cayo for a very filling buffet lunch and some much-needed beach time at this extremely popular spot. Many happy families and couples alike, and we were all very well cared for by a large crew that also spoke 4 languages. Excellent value - it’s clear they know what they’re doing.
Written December 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Miguelina J
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic3 contributions
Feb 2021
In my opinion, this is one of the greatest places to go to if you're planning to go to the Dominican Republic in an early time of the year. The experience of seeing whales was wonderful, and something I would recommend to everyone. In terms of taking care of the whales themselves, we were informed of many precautions they take in order to keep all of them safe. Restating what I said in the beginning, this is a great place for any tourist or local.
Written February 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Travelling Contessa
Vienna, Austria199 contributions
Mar 2023 • Solo
Tour was perfectly organized. Got to see not only the whales but also a small whale family. The baby whale was just about a week old and behaved just like a bany and was all over the place accompanied by the huge parents
Written March 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ramis
Vastra Frolunda, Sweden42 contributions
Hi,
Is it possible to pick us up from cabarete?
How much it coast?
Br
Ramis
EMYE1956
Algeciras, Spain67 contributions
Buenas tardes estaremos hospedados en Bahía principe Cayo Levantado desde el 8 de Febrero al 17 y nos gustaría hacer una excursión a los Haitiies saliendo lo más cerca del hotel.Rogaria información y precio.Gracias
Katie G
Oslo, Norway
Is it too late to go whale watching the 15.march? Or is it still possible to observe the whales? :) We are coming to the island this weekend.
Katie G
Oslo, Norway
Hei. Hoping I am not answering too late. March is kind of late, but we were lucky. We saw one adult whale, and two baby whales. Hope you get to see them too :)
pat_mac181
Dunstable, UK90 contributions
How much was the trip please
Marisol R
5 contributions
It will be around 80 per person because it will depend on the time of the yr. but they will provide you with food and drinks on the boat n some snacks they were great just amazing you will really really enjoy it !
sun-hummingbird
Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile102 contributions
Si estoy en Las Terrenas, igual me pueden pasar a buscar para ir a este paseo??
Que valor tiene?' cuanto dura??
Ramona V
Keswick, Canada21 contributions
Whale watching and Bacardi island what is the length of the trip?What is cost per person?Does the excursion run everyday?So sad that the sea lions are gone What happened?
Ramona V
Keswick, Canada21 contributions
Do you offer a tour for swimming with the sea lions at Bacardi island is so what is the cost per person and the length and we will be staying at caya coa.Thx
Jon V
Samana163 contributions
Sorry to say that the "Swimming with Sea Lions" at the Cayo Levantado island has been closed now since April 2014.
Please take a look on our website at our most popular excursions that we offer :
* Los Haitises National Park
* Whale Watching + Cayo Levantado island
* Catamaran sailing in Samana Bay
Enjoy your vacation in Samana.
Moto Marina Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Moto Marina Tours Information
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