NewsWhore
01-19-2011, 03:00 PM
The whale-watching season is now under way with the inauguration of a new land-based observatory located at Punta Balandra on the Samana peninsula. The observatory, located some 250 meters along a trail that leads to the point, was recently opened by the Ministry of the Environment. It allows people to observe the humpback whales in Samana Bay from the shore, and serves as a dry land complement to the excursions taken by thousands of visitors each year to observe the huge marine mammals. This year, 30% of the resources received for the privilege of whale watching will be invested in community projects, according to Diario Libre. Every visitor to the observatory pays a fee of RD$100.
According to the mayor of Samana, Miguel Bezi, the construction of the land-based observatory will also create jobs with the installation of small stalls nearby and more work for guides as well as attracting a larger number of people to the area to watch the humpback whales. According to Peter Sanchez, the administrator of the Silver Banks and the Nativity Mammal Sanctuary, 27,000 people visit the area each year and a similar number is expected this year. The sanctuary covers 33,000 km2 of coastline and every year some 15,000 whales arrive and of these some 900 to 1,200 stay in the bay. The whale-watching season lasts from 15 January to 15 March, and this year 43 licenses have been granted to ships, according to the Deputy Environment Minister for Protected Areas, Bernabe Manon Rossi.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#9)
According to the mayor of Samana, Miguel Bezi, the construction of the land-based observatory will also create jobs with the installation of small stalls nearby and more work for guides as well as attracting a larger number of people to the area to watch the humpback whales. According to Peter Sanchez, the administrator of the Silver Banks and the Nativity Mammal Sanctuary, 27,000 people visit the area each year and a similar number is expected this year. The sanctuary covers 33,000 km2 of coastline and every year some 15,000 whales arrive and of these some 900 to 1,200 stay in the bay. The whale-watching season lasts from 15 January to 15 March, and this year 43 licenses have been granted to ships, according to the Deputy Environment Minister for Protected Areas, Bernabe Manon Rossi.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#9)