In late November, a small crew gathered in Cap Cana, Dominican Republic (DR), for a mission that blended performance, exploration, and purpose. The Sports Illustrated Resorts Marina & Villas served as home base as Viking Yachts, Costa Sunglasses, and The Billfish Foundation (TBF) prepared to launch an ambitious, three-day shoot: a cinematic look into the life of the 68’ Viking demo boat and the science-driven pursuit of billfish.

Under the leadership of Captains Sean Dooley, Thomas Garmany, and West Rivers, anglers Joe Coyle, Mike Buckland, Jason Votzi, and Sean Healey prepped the 68’ Viking, while a TBF scientist, Jeremy M. Higgs of the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory from the University of Southern Mississippi, readied the satellite tags. 

Once offshore, the Viking Demo Team was all business, showcasing what an experienced captain and crew can do aboard a Viking on this type of exploratory mission. Combine that with a pair of Costa’s brand-new Pilothouse Pro Sunglasses for every crew member, and you have a trip built for success. 

To say the fishery in the DR is spectacular somehow still undersells it. Day one of fishing was packed with a dozen hookups, including nine blue marlin. The bite on day two was even hotter, as the team successfully caught 17 blues and five sailfish. As the fleet of vessels returned to Cap Cana each night, release flags could be seen as far as the eye could see, a true testament to what this fishery is all about. And then there’s the science we can gain from these expeditions. TBF is always interested in learning more about these fish, including why specific species occur in certain locations throughout the year.

Looking at blue marlin in particular, a legendary fish typically known for their impressive size and unyielding power, it’s common to see them much smaller in the DR, especially during the fall. In fact, most are under ~200 lbs, with some being even smaller. This smaller size lends the DR fishery as a noteworthy location for younger blue marlin, helping TBF to better understand a size class with less representation. 

Fishing throughout the Dominican Republic has been one for the record books recently, with more than 100 records submitted to TBF in the last couple of months alone, showing how productive and amazing that region’s fishery truly is.

This expedition also carried added meaning. As TBF launches its 40th anniversary year, these deployments are part of our “40 for 40” campaign, an initiative aimed at getting a commitment of 40 satellite tags to generate actionable movement data on billfish around the world. Each tag represents more than a data point; it reflects four decades of advocacy, research, and angler-driven conservation. The two satellite tags and six conventional tags deployed during this trip directly advance that goal, strengthening the scientific foundation needed to protect billfish and preserve access to the fisheries that anglers depend on.

TBF would like to thank Viking Yachts and Costa Sunglasses for making this trip a possibility. 

Be on the lookout for the videos from Viking/Costa on the trip coming soon!