National Parks

There are 16 national parks, nine natural monuments and six scientific reserves in the Dominican Republic. The total number of protected areas (including panoramic routes, recreational areas and ecological corridors) is 67. All are under the control of the Dirección Nacional de Parques.
Armando Bermúdez and José del Carmen Ramírez, both containing pine forests and mountains in the Cordillera Central are the only remaining areas of extensive forest in the Republic; it is estimated that since the arrival of Columbus, two-thirds of the virgin forest has been destroyed.
The reasons for the loss are fire and the establishment of smallholdings by landless peasants. By setting up these parks the gloomy prediction of 1973, that all the Dominican Republic’s forest would vanish by 1990, has been avoided. In addition, a pilot reforestation project has been started near San José de las Matas, the Plan Sierra.

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Los Haitises
Los Haitises, on the south coast of Samaná Bay (Bahía de San Lorenzo), is a protected coastal region, whose land and seascape of mangrove swamps, caves and strange rock formations emerging from the sea (mogotes) is unmatched in the Republic. In Los Haitises you can visit the Cueva del Angel, cayes on which live many birds and humid tropical forest, as well as the mangroves.

The Dominican Republic is becoming a popular bird watching destination. The national bird is the cotica parrot, which is green, very talkative and a popular pet. It is, however, protected. Among other birds that can be seen, apart from those mentioned above, are other parrots, hummingbirds, the guaraguao (hawk type of bird), the barrancolí and the flautero.

Of the island’s mammals, the hutia, an endemic rodent, is endangered. Similarly in peril is the manatee, which may be seen at Estero Hondo.

Reptiles and amphibians are not particularly abundant in the Dominican Republic. The lizards outnumber the snakes and frogs, while other species unique to the island are invariably under threat.

The Rhinoceros Iguana is an endangered species endemic to Hispaniola. They like dry, rocky ground with cacti and thorny bushes, and are most commonly found in the Enriquillo Basin. The males, in particular, look like fearsome creatures, with three small horns on their snout, a pad like a helmet on top of their head, and a large throat pouch (the females have neither helmet nor horns). In reality, however, they are very shy animals which prefer flight to fight. Their size (often over one meter in length) and their uniform gray color explains why they are called rhinoceros iguana. They live on plants and berries and are active only by day. The other species of iguana found in the Dominican Republic is the ricord iguana.

The four main types of turtle living off the Dominican coast are the leatherback (the largest living turtle), the loggerhead (found in lagoons and coastal bays), the hawksbill (prized for its beautiful shell) and the green sea turtle (hunted for calipee, a glutinous yellow substance used to make soup).

The American Crocodile is the most widely distributed of the four crocodile species present in the New World. On its travels, it has managed to colonize most of Central America, South America as far as Peru, and much of the Caribbean. In Hispaniola, the American crocodile is so well established that it represents one of the largest wildlife crocodile populations in the world. In the Dominican Republic, its favorite haunt is the brackish water of Lago Enriquillo. However, while the adults can survive in hyper-saline conditions by way of a salt gland in their mouth and by taking advantage of fresh water in the environment (rainfall, for example), hatchlings cannot, which means that the water must not be too salty.

Lago Enriquillo is now four times saltier than the sea - due in large part to the diversion of streams feeding into the lake for irrigation purposes - which has put the younger crocodile population under real threat. Take my word for it that any crocodiles you see will be American crocodiles. If you don't believe me, get as close as you dare and look for the fourth tooth protruding above the level of the upper jaw. American crocodiles also have an olive-brown shade and an obvious swelling on the snout in front of the eye sockets. An average length for a female is 2.5 meters, but males can grow to about 4 meters. Although they are reputed to be a threat to man, attacks are rare and American crocodiles stick to their normal diet of fish, turtles and the occasional dog or goat. They often hunt at night and spend the hottest parts of the day in deeper areas of water. The best time to see them on land is during the early morning or late afternoon when they emerge from the water to raise their body temperature under the sun's rays.

Scuba diving and snorkeling are two of the most popular activities on a trip to the Dominican Republic. However before putting on your flippers or water tank, bear in mind a few general rules which are all part and parcel of being a responsible tourist: do not stand on the reef, touch it, remove pieces from it, or otherwise interfere with what you see.

The Caribbean in general does not have many land species, and the Dominican Republic is no exception. Most of the mammals you see in the country today - dogs, cats, pigs, boars, horses, jutias, rats and mice - were introduced by the Europeans. In fact, there are only two endemic land mammals in Hispaniola. The solenodon is an insectivore not dissimilar to a rat, but more aesthetically pleasing. It has a long snout, lives in caves and hollow tree trunks, and feeds on insects and worms.

The jutia is another small rodent which, like the solenodon, lives in caves and tree trunks. The chances of spotting either of these animals on your travels are slim: firstly, because they are nocturnal creatures; secondly, because some believe that they might already be extinct.

The West Indian manatee is an endangered marine mammal. They can sometimes be seen in the coastal areas of the national parks or in Samana Bay, but hunting and the increase in boat traffic has caused a decline in their numbers. Nicknamed the 'sea cow', manatees can grow to over 3.5 meters in length and they 'graze' on aquatic plants on the ocean floor.

One of the principal breeding grounds in the world for humpback whales is on the Silver and Navidad banks off the north coast of the Dominican Republic. Each winter some 3,000 whales migrate from their feeding grounds in the North Atlantic, and congregate here to reproduce in shallow waters protected by coral reefs and free of boats and other distractions. Nearer to the mainland, Samana Bay is also a popular spot for whale watching, which has become an important tourist activity during the months of January, February and March click. The humpback is one of the larger species of whale, measuring from 12-15 meters and weighing up to 60 tons. Adult humpbacks are dark gray, while their calves are a lighter color. Although their name would suggest otherwise, humpbacks do not actually have a humped back. It only looks as though they do when they jump out of the water with arched backs. Other distinguishing features are their knobby heads, long, white flippers and large tails. Moreover, unlike all other toothed whales, the humpback has two blowholes rather than one. Humpbacks do not eat during their stay in Hispaniolan waters. Instead, they live off the 15-20 centimeters of fat accumulated during the feeding season by eating about a ton of food a day. Most of this turns to fat, and is the equivalent of a human daily diet of 8,000 hamburgers. The humpback's preference, however, is small fish and crustaceans called krill (about 6 centimeters long and resembling shrimps). While adult humpbacks reproduce and diet, the newly born calves drink 50 gallons of milk a day. This milk, produced by the mother, is about 50% fat, allowing the calves to grow big enough to survive the journey back to the feeding grounds in the north.