Dominican Republic: How Travelers Help Save Nature

The Dominican Republic is a vacation paradise for many. However, tourism and climate change have left their mark on nature. Travelers can help create new coral reefs and reforest mangrove forests.

Carefully, Silverio Jimenez steers his boat to the coral reef off the paradisiacal, palm-fringed Bávaro Beach in the eastern Dominican Republic. The captain has a treasure on board: a new mini coral reef. Marine biologist Paloma Marin will sink it into the sea with her team and a group of vacationers.

It is a special snorkeling tour in the tourist hub of Punta Cana. The travelers have cut large red corals into small pieces with the marine biologist and tied them to a grid. This way, they can grow in the water and become a new home for the fish. 'No corals, no home, and without a home, no fish,' Jimenez summarizes.

The team has a mission: to save the corals. In 2016, tour operator Fernando Sánchez Fernández founded the Bávaro Reefs Foundation for this purpose. Together with the Tui Care Foundation, dedicated to the sustainable development of vacation destinations, they have since created 70,000 square meters of new coral reef.

Part of the cost of every tour booked by travelers goes into coral conservation. 'This way, we can give back to the sea,' says Captain Jimenez, 'so far, tourism has only taken. But without the underwater world, there won't be tourism anymore.'

Snorkeling for a good cause is the new concept here. The snorkeling excursions now lead not only to the colorful, still lively part of the reef but also to the section that is already dead. Bleached by coral, caused by climate change and tourism. 'Some people stand on the corals, and then they die,' Marin mentions as an example. 'It's important to witness the destruction with your own eyes.'

But they also show snorkelers how it can improve again. For instance, in the coral nursery, as they call the area with newly planted baby corals. Baby stingrays, parrotfish, and sea turtles splash around here in their new home. And every vacationer can participate in building this home.

In the northern part of the island, another project contributes to protecting a fragile ecosystem that the sea and fish rely on: the mangrove forest in the Bay of Samaná. People had destroyed much of this green nature paradise. They cut down the trees for firewood and cleared the land for coconut plantations. Now, nature is coming back to life here.

A boat passes by the pier. The San Lorenzo Fishermen's Cooperative begins their boat and kayak tours here. 'We want to show travelers this beautiful spot of nature - and create an alternative to whale watching, which is the main reason tourists come to the Bay of Samaná,' says Lamellas. 'The whales are here only three months of the year; the mangrove forest is here year-round.'

Tourism revenue helps continue reforesting the forest - providing new jobs for the poor population. The San Lorenzo Fishermen's Cooperative was able to significantly reduce fishing as the main income source, creating a more sustainable perspective with boat and kayak tours. Nature appreciates it too: Fish stocks are recovering in the overfished bay, and the roots of the mangroves once again offer protection and a new home for marine life.

In two years, 3.6 million trees will stand here, including red and black mangroves and the dragon's blood tree. 'Then, everything that can be restored will be,' says Lamellas. The green lung of Samaná can breath again.

Getting there: There are direct flights to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic from Frankfurt am Main. The flight time is about ten hours.

Entry: To enter, tourists must fill out an E-Ticket online in advance.

Climate: In the Dominican Republic, temperatures remain consistently around 86°F (30°C) year-round. Occasionally, there are heavy tropical downpours that usually don't last long. The rainiest period is from May through August, followed by hurricane season, which lasts until October. Severe hurricanes rarely hit the Dominican Republic. Travel is cheapest during this time, while it's most expensive from December to April.

Tours: Snorkeling excursions for the coral conservation project at Bávaro Beach can be booked on catamarantourpuntancana.com and through Tui.

Boat and kayak tours in the mangrove forest and Los-Haitises National Park in the Bay of Samaná can be booked with the San Lorenzo Fishermen's Cooperative via WhatsApp at (+1) 80 94 63 95 57 or via Instagram (@coopesankayaksanlorenzo).

The trip was supported by the Tui Care Foundation. The editorial team alone decides the selection and orientation of the content.

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