Dolphin watching in Martinique: the day we saw dolphins in the wild

Dolphin watching in Martinique went straight onto our list of things to do the moment I found out it was possible! But be careful: we’re talking about heading out to sea to look for them and hoping very hard to see them in the wild… not in a pool like in Punta Cana or Mexico, where we’d given up the idea a few years earlier after learning about the conditions they live in…

Unless you have a friend on the island with a boat who knows how to find dolphins, you’ll have to book an organised tour… These still claim a 95% “success rate” (sounds a lot like exam results!)… So off we went! Our trip, prices, the best time to go and the rules to know: here’s everything you need before you go, because for us, dolphin watching is a real must among the things to do in Martinique!

Dolphin watching in Martinique at a glance

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Dolphins in Martinique: our boat trip

Here we are at the meeting point, it’s 7:45am… I’m feeling a bit of pressure, I’m the one who wanted to do this trip… I really hope we see them!

I think there are quite a lot of people on a boat that isn’t very big… After a few explanations from the crew, Alcino and I rush to the front of the boat, we don’t want to miss a thing! The captain at the helm, his mate on the roof of the boat with his binoculars…

We scan the horizon looking for the slightest movement, the slightest unusual wave where the dolphins might suddenly appear…

And then we wait…

And wait some more…

Oh please, don’t let us be among the 5% who don’t see them!!

At one point, I think I’ve spotted them, I stand up and shout, and actually… no, it’s just rubbish floating on the water… how embarrassing…

I sit back down and we keep waiting…

I think we searched for at least an hour and a half without seeing anything… Apart from the scenery, of course…

And then, finally, just as we were starting to lose hope… the mate up on the roof shouts “they’re over there!”. The captain moves closer and cuts the engine, and we start to see them…

Then they come towards us… “They’re heeeere!” I shout to Alcino… Shhh!!!! We need to keep the noise down…

They swim away again, we move a little closer… I’m holding the GoPro, but I’m so amazed by them that I’m not sure I filmed much… Alcino has the DSLR in his hand and shoots a bit at random, preferring to enjoy the show with his own eyes…

We stay there, enjoying the show… they come and go… We can see their silhouettes under the water… We enjoy this ballet for at least twenty minutes… How beautiful! What an emotion!

In pictures…

The captain later told us they were probably hunting, as they were less playful than usual… And that these were Fraser’s dolphins, which you can recognise by their pink bellies.

We head back with stars in our eyes…

I whisper in Alcino’s ear like a child: “we saw dolphins!!” I’m so happy: even though the moment was short and the search was long, we saw them “at home”, not in an enclosure, a zoo or a water park…

On the way back, we stop for a swim at the foot of a cliff, with lots of coral, harmless jellyfish and fish. But nothing could top what I’d seen earlier that day: dolphins in Martinique, in their natural habitat…

Practical information

Which company to go with and how much does it cost?

For the record, we went with Schéhérazade, from the Pointe du Bout marina in Trois-Îlets. Back then, we paid €48 for a trip of about 4 hours… Today, expect around €60 per adult and €40 per child. The crew was rather nice, as they took the search a bit further north along the island and for quite a long time… On board we were given a small snack, nothing special: crisps and a slice of cake. I really felt there were too many of us on this trip…

We wouldn’t advise against them, but they’re not the only ones! Most trips leave from the Caribbean coast, where the dolphins usually hang out: from Trois-Îlets (Pointe du Bout, Anse à l’Âne), Anses-d’Arlet or Case-Pilote. Generally, expect to pay €40 to €70 per adult for a half-day, often with a swimming or snorkelling stop on the way back… A tip: ask how many people will be on board, and whether they offer another trip if you don’t see any dolphins, some companies do!

And if you love boat trips, don’t miss the Baignoire de Joséphine and the islets either, or our best beaches in Martinique…

When to see dolphins in Martinique?

Good news: dolphins live off the Caribbean coast all year round… But the most pleasant time is the dry season, from November to April, when the sea is usually calmer. During the rainy season, from May to October, trips still run, but the sea can be rougher and some are cancelled. That day we saw Fraser’s dolphins, but you can also spot Atlantic spotted dolphins, bottlenose dolphins and sometimes even pilot whales!

Being responsible: why choose to see dolphins in the wild?

Everyone does what they want, of course… But if you want to see them, it’s because you really love animals, right? So before riding an elephant, swimming with a dolphin or cuddling a tiger… find out how they’re treated… Most of the time, they’re mistreated, drugged, “trained” to please tourists, and above all, they’re not in their natural habitat…

So yes, the temptation is strong: touching a dolphin or a tiger is cool. You’ll get a great photo to show your friends… But in principle the tiger should bite your hand off, and a dolphin should be hard to get close to… So choose your activity carefully before you do it.

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For us, seeing these dolphins in Martinique swimming in the sea, in their own home, was a very powerful emotion… What about you, what’s your most beautiful wildlife encounter?

FAQ: dolphin watching in Martinique