Swimming with sharks in the Dominican Republic. caribbean sharks

When planning a vacation, you want to foresee everything to the smallest detail and the issue of security is not the last for many. So, let's see if the Atlantic and Caribbean waters of the island of Haiti are dangerous, and are there sharks in the Dominican Republic?

So, good news lies in the fact that the entire coast of the Dominican Republic is surrounded by a coral reef. And this means that sharks are rare guests in coastal waters, since the reef is a natural barrier for them.

In addition, the shark is a predator that feeds mainly on large prey: seals, fur seals, less often - dolphins, well, just any kind big fish. Of all the individuals listed, only dolphins are found near the Dominican coast, and even then very rarely.

By the way, a human is by no means included in the habitual diet of a shark, so the risk of suffering from a predator in the Dominican Republic is almost zero.

Moreover, there are those who are not only not afraid of meeting a shark, but even dreaming about it!
So, for example, in the Dominican dolphinarium Dolphin Explorer, the program "Swimming with a shark" is very popular!

Are there sharks in Punta Cana?

As you know, the Dominican Republic is washed by the Atlantic waters from the north, and the Caribbean Sea - from the south. Where is the chance to meet a shark more likely? Ichthyologists do not consensus on this account. In any case, sharks in Punta Cana appear very rarely.

But in Samana Bay, the chance to meet a shark is greater, especially during the mating season of Humpback Whales, which lasts from January to March every year.

Well, if you need statistics, then here it is: over the past century, only three cases of shark attacks on humans have been recorded in the Dominican Republic, and only 6 in the Caribbean region.

Shark fishing

But what if you are a desperate and fearless fisherman who is ready to take to the open sea and meet the predator face to face? Yes, shark fishing is possible in the Dominican Republic! In addition, after all, there are those who like to feast on fatty and rich shark soup. Here, as they say, for your money - any whim!

shark species

So, what kinds of sharks can be found outside the reef?

• Whale shark - despite its large size, this shark is completely harmless and feeds only on plankton
• Nurse shark - it is with this type of sharks that you can swim in the dolphinarium without any fear for life and health. This shark is not only peaceful, but it does not even know how to bite.
• Largemouth shark - despite its huge mouth, it does not use anything but plankton
• Caribbean reef shark - purely theoretically, such a shark can be dangerous to humans. Some individuals reach 3 meters in length. But this species is on the verge of extinction, so meeting such a shark is a rarity.
• Tiger shark. Although such a shark is quite dangerous, it is more often a victim of a person, and not vice versa.
• Blue shark - this predator does not appear in coastal waters, preferring the open sea. And although some experts talk about its potential danger to humans, so far not a single attack has been recorded.

Safety

To protect yourself from a fatal meeting with dangerous predator please adhere to the following rules:

• Don't swim at night
• Avoid swimming in areas where dolphins, whales, and where there are a lot of fish in general
• Do not enter the water with wounds on the body
• Before bathing, remove all shiny objects and jewelry from the sowing.
• Don't swim too far: don't cross the reef

In general, we can safely say that sharks in the Dominican Republic are practically incapable of harming a person in any way. And in general, a meeting with a predator is unlikely. But if you still want to swim with a shark - contact us - we will organize it! Have a nice and relaxing holiday, friends!

My life in the Dominican Republic was back on track. But the soul at some point rebelled and demanded diversity and extreme sports. "Stop!" - I said, no need for extreme sports, you just need a dose of positive, for example, go to the animal park. I chose Animal Adventure Park and never regretted it.

What it is?

animal adventure - this is, first of all, a huge territory (as on land among tropical vegetation and tall palm trees, as well as the surface part, limited by a special mesh at the bottom).

The park is located in a place called Cabeza de Toro ("Bull's Head"), symbolically separating the Atlantic Ocean from caribbean, nearby is the Catalonia Bavaro hotel (if it has not yet been renamed).

This place is perfect option to get acquainted with animals, learn a lot of interesting things and, most importantly, feel like a real tamer and trainer for a few hours. Most of the animals are not in cages, you get to know them "live" under the strict guidance of the staff (well done guys! real professionals).

Specifics and how to get there ....

Animal Adventure has a policy: clear group formation! It means that it is useless to come there without pre-booking tickets, they will be able to let you into the park, but you won’t be able to participate in the programs, and this is the most important thing.

Huge "+": unlike Manati Park (the most popular animal park in Bavaro), Animal Adventure does not have a huge crowd of people, enrollment in groups is strictly limited and in the park due to its territory it is not stuffy, but spacious and relaxed.

To visit, you need to call in advance and book a ticket (round-trip transfer by mini-bus will be already included). The most convenient way to do this is with the hotel reception (if you speak Spanish or English) or buy an excursion from a tour operator.

Travel time - approximately 15 minutes from Punta Cana airport, from the northernmost hotel Bavaro - 45 minutes .

In Animal Adventure you don't have to think about where to go and what else to see, since a certain program has been drawn up, you will be led by the hand and everything will be shown and explained.

It is forbidden to take photos with your camera in this park! At the end, you will be offered to buy a disc with professional photos. I admit, I still photographed myself, but I bought the disc (about $ 80). In this post there will be both mine and professional photos (the size, however, had to be reduced).

So let's go .....

At the same time, there are only 2 groups of tourists in the park (10 people in each), these groups do not intersect with each other, each performs the same program, but in a different order.

Photo of the park itself ....

On the beach there are sunbeds with umbrellas. Since I didn't use the return transfer (I took a taxi, about $25, 20 minutes drive), I had a wonderful time swimming and sunbathing in the ocean... or was it the sea???

The standard ticket includes a viewing show (without participation) + the opportunity to pet and feed the animals.

Since I also took swimming with dolphins, stingrays, sharks and participation in the shows themselves, I was immediately asked to change into a wetsuit upon arrival (they will help you choose the size) .

The first thing I started with is meeting a fur seal who can be fed, stroked. The park staff talks in detail about the life of these beautiful creatures....

"Hello".... Acquaintance takes place in a covered gazebo

Then everyone can take a picture with him in an embrace. It's a lot of fun... It doesn't work right away, at the command of the trainer, my cutie turns away, shows me her tongue, and then kisses me on the cheek (at this moment it's better to hold your nose and not breathe, the smell of the fish market...)

Those who paid for swimming with a fur seal stay in the pool and complete tasks....

I'm sorry, the photo will only show my hands....

And this is a toucan (as the staff said, well, very characteristic) ....

peacock

cute yellow snake

charming monkey

with musical duet

I ordered these photos hard copy(you pick them up ready in an hour). The cost of 1 piece is $10.

And we go ... to the tigers

You can feed them yourself and even stroke their paws. Animals are in a cage, so it's not very scary yet...

My hand is on the right

In the adjacent room in the open air lives still a couple of tigers together... with a dog

The park staff said that the tigers obey her like an older brother.

This is where the ground part of the program ends and the fun begins (although you need to pay for this separately).

Swimming with dolphins! We walk along the pier, where these beautiful charms are already waiting for us in a separate compartment in the water. Everyone goes down the stairs and takes pictures with 2 dolphins for 10 minutes. These photos I have only in printed form, unfortunately. Take care of your feet! Dolphins have a very heavy fin, I ran into it several times, I got a couple of bruises right away, but this is nothing. In Animal Adventure, swimming with dolphins takes place one person at a time, in the same Manati - you are loaded with a group.

I would not recommend children to participate in these events. because here it’s really possible ... well, you understand ... to worry a lot. Adult uncles at times turned green and pale with excitement. It's swimming with stingrays and sharks!

Stingrays also swim with a special compartment, fenced with a net. And although you know perfectly well that the spike from their tail has been removed (the trainer demonstrates this), you still feel the excitement ...

And this is me! You will first be given a fish to feed him, hear how he "grunts" when eating, and then take him in your arms and try to make him "Cheeez" into the camera

We exhale and think that it was the worst, but no, ahead of the shark. And this is where the shivers hit me. Yes, of course I know that these are nurse sharks and they don’t eat people, but seeing how they begin to frantically swim around the instructor, exposing their fins above the water, it becomes a bit bad.

This is how it looks....

About cost ....

As I said, I took full package , which cost in the area $250 (price is subject to change). In time, the entire program took about 2 hours + I spent another 2 hours in free "flight", swimming (already easy! Without extreme sports) in the ocean, having lunch in a cafe (in the same park) and drinking an obligatory cup of delicious Dominican coffee.

Recreational safety is an issue that recent times interested in many tourists. Due to events in Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia and other countries of the Middle East, as well as due to frequent incidents in Thailand and other Asian countries, many tourists attach great importance to security issues when choosing a vacation spot.

Is it dangerous in the Dominican Republic? Despite the fact that crime in the Dominican Republic, like in many other countries Latin America, is not a rare occurrence, the safety of tourists is provided quite well here.

Of course, there are dangers in the Dominican Republic, but you cannot name a single country in which there are no dangers. We can only say that in the last few years there has not been a single serious incident with tourists from Russia in this country.

In this article, we will talk about the main dangers for tourists in the Dominican Republic and give some tips to help you make your stay in this country as safe as possible.

Is it possible to swim at night in the Dominican Republic

Although it is unlikely that anyone will forbid you to swim at night in the ocean / sea, we still do not recommend doing this. Why? The fact is that almost nothing is visible under water at night, and the likelihood of stepping on sea ​​urchin or some other sea ​​creature much higher at night than during the day. At the same time, there will be no lifeguards on the beach at night, so there will be no one to help you.

As for the pools, in most hotels it is forbidden to swim in them from 7-8 pm.

Hurricanes in the Dominican Republic

Hurricane season in the Dominican Republic begins on June 1 and ends on November 30. According to the National Meteorological Administration, the critical period regarding the possible impact of this natural phenomenon in the country is the period from August 15 to September 15. Records for the last 120 years show that the country was hit by at least twenty hurricanes during this period, five of which had the most catastrophic consequences. These are hurricanes Lilis (1894), San Zenona (1930), Agnes (1966), David (1979) and George (1998). According to the researchers, the cyclonic activity changed in 1995 to a hyperactive period that could last two or three decades.

Approx 80 tropical cyclones develop in the world every year, and about half of these cyclones reach the strength of a hurricane. Many cyclones originating in the Atlantic pass just north of the Dominican Republic and leave for Mexico or the southern United States. Sometimes they reach the eastern part Pacific Ocean, where they are given a new name according to a given list for cyclones or typhoons, as they are called in some areas of the Pacific Ocean.

Can you get caught in a hurricane in the Dominican Republic? If you go to this country between June and November, then there is a risk of getting into a hurricane, but the highest probability of this is in August and September, and the lowest in June and November. In general, the probability of getting into a powerful hurricane in the Dominican Republic is small, although if you pay attention to the cyclical nature of the last five powerful hurricanes, we can assume that the next such hurricane will be in the coming years. Nevertheless, even if you are not lucky enough to get into such a hurricane, then you should not worry, because the Dominicans are always ready for this. natural phenomenon. Hotel buildings in this country are built taking into account the possible impact of a hurricane on them. In addition, there are often shelters near hotels.

Tsunami in the Dominican Republic

Are there tsunamis in the Dominican Republic? The last powerful tsunami that hit the coast of the Dominican Republic occurred back in 1946. Although it is quite difficult to predict such a phenomenon as a tsunami, the Caribbean is not the place where powerful tsunamis often occur.

Tsunami in the Dominican Republic in 1946

More than 100 people died and another 20,000 were left homeless as a result of a tsunami generated by an earthquake of magnitude 8.0, which occurred on August 4, 1946 off the coast of Nagua (northern coast of the Dominican Republic). The tsunami penetrated several kilometers into the community of Matanzas, where the wave height was approximately 2.5 meters. The quake is strongly felt in parts of Haiti, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and eastern Cuba. The tsunami caused severe damage in the northern part of the Dominican Republic, from Samana to Puerto Plata.

Although the wave was only 2.5 meters high, it penetrated several kilometers deep, causing serious damage to Matanzas. The maximum wave height has been estimated at 4-5 meters. Such a wave hit the Nagua.

Earthquake in the Dominican Republic

Not so long ago, the island of Hispaniola, on which the Dominican Republic is located, survived strong earthquake. True, it happened in Haiti on January 12, 2010. Preceded by wobbles and small movements, this earthquake measured 7.3 on the Richter scale and killed more than 2,000 people. In addition, hundreds of thousands were affected, not only by the earthquake itself, but also by other disasters it caused, such as floods, cholera and famine.

There are two fault lines in the Caribbean. The first of these extends west of Jamaica, while the second fault line runs north to south along northern Cuba and Haiti. This suggests that cities such as Port-au-Prince, Kingston, or Santiago de los Caballeros are most at risk. The Dominican Republic is unlikely to suffer much from an earthquake, although this cannot be ruled out. In any case, Punta Cana, La Romana and other resort areas of this country are relatively far from the fault line, so the likelihood that the epicenter of the earthquake will be near these resorts is very small.

Diseases in the Dominican Republic

What can you get infected or get sick in the Dominican Republic? Theoretically, tourists can get malaria, Zika virus and cholera in the Dominican Republic. However, in practice this is almost impossible. Only one case is known when a tourist returned from the Dominican Republic to Russia with the Zika virus.

In general, if you take all precautions and do not do stupid things, then the risk of getting some kind of serious illness in the Dominican Republic will be practically zero.

Are there mosquitoes in the Dominican Republic? These insects are found in any tropical country, and the Dominican Republic is no exception. In resort areas, mosquitoes often disturb tourists, especially those who have not taken any precautions against them. In addition to nasty bites, mosquitoes can transmit serious diseases such as the Zika virus and malaria. Therefore, it is important to do everything to drive mosquitoes away from you.

Mosquito activity may vary depending on the season, time of day, weather conditions and specific area. In humid areas (natural pools, lakes, swamps) there are usually a lot of mosquitoes. In addition, there are usually more mosquitoes during the rainier periods of the year than during the dry season. Also keep in mind that mosquito activity is usually higher during dusk and dawn. To prevent mosquitoes from disturbing you, try to use different means such as repellents, sprays, creams. Keep mosquitoes out of your room by keeping windows open. If possible, perfumes, colognes, body creams, hairspray, etc. should not be used as the scent attracts mosquitoes.

Although only one tourist from Russia has contracted Zika in the Dominican Republic so far, total number More than a hundred tourists have been affected by this virus. Most of them are Americans, which is not surprising considering that tourists from the United States are the most numerous in the Dominican Republic.

Since the Zika virus is transmitted by mosquitoes, it is important to ensure that you are not bitten by these insects. We wrote about precautions above.

Malaria in the Dominican Republic

Do not believe those who say that there is no malaria in the Dominican Republic. But the fact is that the country is in the stage of preliminary elimination of this disease. There is a moderate risk of malaria in the rural areas of the western regions (on the border with Haiti). AT major cities There is no risk of contracting malaria in the Dominican Republic, and this risk is very low in coastal resort areas. Back in 2004, there was an outbreak of malaria in Punta Cana, but the area is now considered one of the safest in this regard.

In the Dominican Republic in last years malaria cases are rapidly declining. Back in 2012, there were about 1200 cases of malaria, but in 2015 the number of such cases dropped below 300.

Dangerous animals of the Dominican Republic are another fear of tourists going on vacation to this country. One of the scariest animals for tourists is the shark. Are there sharks in the Dominican Republic? Yes, these marine animals live in the waters near this country, but the last shark attacks on people in the Dominican Republic were recorded a very long time ago.

You don't have to worry too much about sharks in the Dominican Republic, as most shark species that can swim close to the coast are actually harmless. Dangerous sharks usually do not swim to the coast at a distance of less than 2-3 kilometers. In addition, in Punta Cana, most hotels have barriers that prevent access to sharks, and small boats monitor this area to prevent unpleasant surprises for tourists.

So now you know that you should not be afraid of sharks in the Dominican Republic if you do not plan to swim far.

Snakes in the Dominican Republic

Are there snakes in the Dominican Republic? The bad news is that there are snakes here, but the good news is that they are not dangerous. It is even hard to imagine that in a country with large tropical forests No poisonous snakes. Moreover, to meet here non-venomous snake, you have to try hard. The fact is that some snakes in the Dominican Republic are endangered, and other snakes are caught in order to obtain any medicines and remedies.

There are only a few types of snakes in the Dominican Republic. The most popular of these is the Dominican boa (boa constrictor). This snake does not pose any danger to humans and, as a rule, approaches houses only because it senses the presence of mice. The Dominican boa constrictor can be up to four meters long. Its color can be anything from black and brown to gray and red. It feeds on small vertebrates and lives in forests and along river banks. Sometimes boas appear on plantations, but they are beneficial because they eat harmful Agriculture birds and rodents, frogs and other small vertebrates.

There are three endemic species of "green snakes" on the island of Hispaniola, which are found mainly within certain ranges. These snakes can be found in all known resort areas except Punta Cana. Although all three types of snakes are shy and try to hide when a person approaches, bites still occur. According to those who have suffered from the bites of these snakes, numbness is felt in the area of ​​​​the bite. But no one in the Dominican Republic has died after being bitten by these snakes.

Many tourists are rightfully interested in whether there are sharks in the Dominican Republic. After all, always, even on vacation, you need to be on the alert and remember about safety.

The shark is one of the most famous predators on earth. They belong to the subclass of elasmobranchs and have the following characteristics: an elongated body that has a torpedo shape; big fin; many sharp teeth on each of the jaws. Today, more than 450 species of these predators are known. The length of the smallest individual is about 17 cm, and the largest reaches 20 meters.

Sharks are found in the waters of the oceans and seas, ranging from a depth of 2 km to the very surface. Most of them are predators, but some species (giant, whale, largemouth) feed on squid, plankton and small fish.

Should you be afraid of sharks in the Dominican Republic?

In fact sharks in the Dominican Republic. But the country is surrounded on all sides barrier reefs that becomes a barrier to these formidable predators. For sharks, which can become dangerous to humans, the water here is too warm.

The greatest chance to meet a shark is on the Atlantic coast. However, it is much more if you go to the open sea. Sharks mostly live in the waters of the Caribbean Sea.

Whale shark, rarely seen near resorts and harmless to humans

In the Dominican Republic, there are blue sharks that come here to spawn. This species poses a threat to humans, but so far not a single accident has been recorded. The blue shark has a length of about 3 m and is today listed in the Red Book.

In addition, another species that does not pose a danger to tourists is found in Dominican waters - whale sharks. They feed on small fish, plankton and mollusks. In addition to blue and whale sharks, there are largemouth, Caribbean reef and local nurse sharks.

Of course, it is impossible to say that sharks in the Dominican Republic do not pose any danger. But attacks by these predators are very rare. Recently, only 6 cases have been recorded in the entire Caribbean Sea. Experts say that in the Puerto Plata area, the danger is practically eliminated.

The nurse shark is often found off the coast of the Dominican Republic, but is considered safe for humans.

Sharks go to fish at dawn and late, just at these hours the greatest probability of meeting with them. There is also danger in January-March, when humpback whales come to the Dominican Republic for their “honeymoon”. Humpback whales are very fond of plankton, which is also present in the diet of sharks. For those who want to be safe and don't want to go out to sea, a Land-based Humpback Whale Observation Center has recently been built.

The most favorite "dishes" of sharks are walruses, fur seals, dolphins and seals. Only dolphins are found in the Dominican coastal waters, so there is little attraction for sharks here. But still, it is better not to dive into the cluster of dolphins.

Dominicans hunt nurse sharks for food. Attacks on them happen, but more often with fishermen who go to the open sea or hunt with outside reef.

Such a beautiful "barbel" lobster can be seen in coastal reefs

Precautionary measures