HUMPBACK WHALES OBSERVATION Santa Bárbara de Samaná

To observe the Humpback Whales during their breeding period, in the bay of Samaná, is the most extraordinary spectacle that the Dominican Republic offers its visitors and meeting Kim Beddall is a real privilege.

The Bay of Samaná, identified worldwide as the "Humpback Whale Sanctuary" of the Caribbean, is considered one of the best spots in the world to attend the bridal parade of the humpback whales.

Each year, several thousand of these marine mammals, from the North Atlantic, migrate to the warm waters of the Caribbean to mate and reproduce and are concentrated around the Dominican Republic in the Banco de la Plata, near the island, and in the Bahía de Samaná nestled in the entrance of the Los Haitises park. Scientists consider that at least 1000 whales visit La Bahia annually from January to March. We invite you to enjoy this magnificent, intense and unforgettable experience.

Kim Beddall, a Canadian national, has been living in Santa Bárbara de Samaná for 30 years and is dedicated to the study of the behavior and preservation of humpback whales. It is in the initiative of the recognition of the Sanctuary of the humpback whales of Samaná. Formed by a group of American scientists, Kim Beddall co-founded CESBE, the Samaná Bay Conservation and Eco-development Center, which brings together biologists, sociologists, economists, technicians, nature-loving engineers, to ensure the protection of whales, mangroves and corals of the Samaná Peninsula.

Her passion: observe and identify the whales. Kim Beddall approaches them, photographs them, identifies them thanks to the inside of their tails that serve as an identity card and shares their information with the scientists of the North Atlantic University. This allows many of them to be studied for their routes, the regularity of their visits to the waters of Samaná, their loves, their code of life. She rejoices every year when she recognize some and keeps a detailed record of their repeated visits. She collaborated in the establishment of strict rules for the observation in the bay and the protection of the site. These rules are indispensable for the perenniality of the breeding area and also contribute to the survival of the species.

Since 1995, Kim Beddall has taken tourists and scientists to the Sanctuary of the Whales of Samaná to share her passion for these giants of the sea and her expert knowledge on the behavior of the species. Thus, step by step, Kim transmits in the collective conscience, the importance of the preservation of these cetaceans.

For more informations, her website.