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One of the most
beautiful tour in Dominican Republic is the Visit to the Sanctuary
of Humpback Whales in Samana, Dominican Republic. Samana's whales
are well known. Each year 3 to 5 thousand humpback whales return to
Bahia de Samana and adjacent waters to give birth and mate for the
following year. From January until March, frolicsome males can be
observed vying for the attentions of demure females. Sky-rocketing,
standing on their tails (and heads, too!), flippering, tailing; all
sorts of antics may be observed under carefully controlled
conditions aboard excursion boats staffed by knowledgeable
personnel. Excursions leave from Samana Harbor and several other
points along the north shore of the bay. Samana's whales are truly
an international treasure and are fully protected by the Dominican
government
Thousands of
humpback whales migrate to Samana Bay every year for the
breeding season, which runs from January through March. Their
journey is a long and slow trek spanning from the polar regions of
the North Atlantic to the warm and clear waters of the Caribbean.
Regrettably, over the centuries, whale hunters have decimated the
population of these magnificent creatures to the point of near
extinction. But, thanks to the efforts of organizations such as the
International Whaling Commission (IWC), humpback whales along with
other species, have received world protection since 1966. However,
there is still a long way to go for full recovery. The world
population of humpbacks has reached approximately 40,000 or about
30-35% of its original levels. |
