Wonderful news for tourists and Dominicans alike, the annual return of the humpback whales is reported to be right on schedule. The yearly visit to the waters of the Silver Bank, just to the north of the Dominican Republic and the Bay of Samana, brings the whale pod back to reproduce and to give birth. This past weekend, the first boats went out to observe the whales in the bay. These humpback whales, an endangered species, are among the most watched sea creatures on earth. During the spring, summer and fall they feed in the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Newfoundland, Greenland and Iceland. Most observers agree that they begin the journey to the warmer Caribbean waters in November, with the “scouts” arriving in late December and the main pod in mid January.
In 1986, the Dominican government declared the area around the Silver Banks and the Bay of Samana to be Marine Mammal Sanctuaries. With the creation of the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources under Law 64-00, the whales came under the protection of the ministry. Each year the ministry signs an agreement with several institutions in the Samana area to co-manage the whale-watching season. The Ministry of Tourism, the Boat Owners Association and the Center for the Protection of the Samana Eco-system (CEBSE) and the Environmental Police have all signed the agreement.
The Rules:
-No boats may pass in front of a moving or sleeping whale.
-No boats are allowed closer than 90 meters to a mother whale and her cub. Other whales may be watched from a distance of 30 meters.
-When arriving at the watching area, the boats are to put their engines in neutral. Under no circumstances may the engine be shut down.
-No diving is allowed near the whales.
-Boats may only stay in the viewing area for 30 minutes.
-Only boats with permits issued by the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources are allowed to carry passengers on whale watching excursions.
-Nobody is allowed in the water near the whales.