Groups, private charters & film crews
Take the whole boat
Six seats is already a small group — book all six and the week is yours. No strangers in your rotation, no compromise on how you use the water, and a trip that is confirmed the moment you book it.
6 seats
Is the entire boat — book them all and it is a private charter
Confirmed
A charter takes all six seats, so the week runs — no waiting to see if it fills
6 sea days
Across seven nights at Fort Young, all included
3 in water
At a time with a licensed guide, as the permit requires
Who takes the whole boat
Why people charter
Different reasons, same conclusion: when the six people on the boat all want the same thing from the week, the week works better.
Photographers & filmmakersEveryone on board understands why you are waiting, and nobody is impatient when the light is wrong.
Dive clubs & travel groupsBring your own people. One group, one boat, one rotation you control between yourselves.
FamiliesThe only way to bring children under 16, who cannot join a scheduled group week.
Friends travelling togetherSix is the natural size for a group that already knows each other.
ResearchersDedicated days on a resident population, with crew who have worked this coast for years.
Media & productionCommercial shoots are welcome — see what we handle and what you arrange below.
What a charter changes
The same week, on your terms
- It runs, guaranteed
- A week needs four guests to go ahead. A charter books all six, so it is confirmed the moment you pay — no waiting to see whether it fills.
- Your rotation
- Three swimmers in the water at a time is set by Dominica’s permit and does not change. Who goes in, and in what order, is up to you — which matters when one of you is shooting and the others are not.
- Under-16s welcome
- Children under 16 cannot join a scheduled group week. On a private charter they can, provided they are strong swimmers.
- Your week
- Pick any open week of the season. We run November to May, and the whales are resident, so no week is better than another for finding them.
- Nobody else’s pace
- Long days waiting for one encounter, or back early to work on footage — with the boat to yourselves, that is a conversation with the captain rather than a vote.
Film, television & commercial media
Where our job ends and yours begins
Worth being straight about this before anyone books flights. Our whale permit covers guided in-water encounters for our guests. It is not a filming permit.
What we provide
The boat, the crew and the water
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The vessel, captain and accredited whale guide for six full sea days
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Our in-water whale permit, covering guided encounters as it does for any guest
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Crew who have worked this coast for years and can read whether an animal is settled
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A boat set up for getting people and housings in and out of the water quietly
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Seven nights at Fort Young and breakfast, same as any week
What you arrange
Permits, insurance and clearances
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Your filming permit. Commercial filming in Dominica requires its own permit, separate from our whale permit. The production obtains it — we cannot film commercially on ours
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Any research or drone permissions your shoot needs
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Production insurance, equipment cover and your own crew’s travel insurance
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Customs clearance for equipment coming into the country
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Flights and airport transfers, which are not included in any week
Start the permit conversation early. Clearances are the thing that sinks shoots, not boats. Tell us what you are planning as soon as you have dates and we will tell you honestly what we think is workable.
Charter enquiries
Tell us what you need
We quote full-week charters individually rather than publishing a rate — what a group needs varies enough that a single number would mislead. Send us the details and we will come back with a price and what is open.
Message usand we will quote your week
WhatsApp — message only+1 (650) 338-7553
Or use the enquiry formSend a message
What to put in your message
The four things we will ask anyway
- Your dates
- The week you want, or a rough month. Say if you are flexible — it widens what we can offer, and our season runs November to May.
- How many of you
- Six is the boat. Tell us your number, how many rooms you need, and the ages of any children coming.
- What you are there for
- Photography, filming, research or simply the experience. It changes how the crew runs the days, and for a commercial shoot it changes what you need to arrange.
- Anything we should know
- Swimming ability, mobility, dietary needs, extra nights either side, or equipment you are bringing.
- Not included
- Flights, airport transfers, lunches and dinners, drinks, travel insurance and tips — and, for productions, filming permits and clearances.
- More than six
- Six is the limit on one boat. Larger groups are sometimes possible across more than one boat or consecutive weeks, depending on the season — ask us with your dates and numbers.
- Booking terms
- Deposit, payment schedule and cancellation terms come with your quote. The standard terms are set out in the FAQ.
Tell us what you have in mind
Dates, numbers, and what you are hoping to come away with. We will come back with what is open and an honest view on whether it is workable.