Three manatees, Juanita, Pepe and Lupita are now on their own after the Ministry of Environment removed the net that separated their protected area of 4,150 m in Bayahibe from the open Caribbean Sea. The manatees had been rescued by the National Aquarium that cared for them for years, feeding them vegetables. The decision was taken to return the protected species to their natural habitat and the return to the wild has taken eight years.
This process was carried out with the rigorous and systematic care of technicians from the Dominican Foundation for Marine Studies (Fundemar) and the National Aquarium under the coordination of the Vice Ministry of Coastal and Marine Resources of the Ministry of the Environment.
The process is seen as a milestone for the country. The readaptation of the manatees began in September 2020 with several stages that included a change of feeding, care, medical checkups, the transfer to the sea and the recording of behaviors.
Local experts had the collaboration of the German Embassy and the advice of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium of the United States for the final release phase and trackers were installed in the manatees to monitor these as they begin their lives in the open sea.
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Ministry of Environment
28 June 2021