Sea fauna of the Dominican Republic: who can you meet

The Dominican Republic has recently become more and more popular among tourists, including those who cannot imagine a vacation without diving into the depths of the sea. The underwater world of the Dominican Republic is truly fascinating: even experienced divers cannot help but admire the beauty of local coral reefs.

Diving equipment can be purchased on site or rented, but experienced explorers of the deep sea, of course, follow the principle of "I take everything with me." This is also reasonable from a financial point of view: everything related to the tourism industry is very expensive in the Dominican Republic. Many beautiful, large and dangerous creatures can be seen with this equipment. Let's talk about them now.

1) Manatees

Manatees, manatees are large (weighing up to 590 kg and about 3.7 m long), shy animals. In appearance, they resemble hippos, which - as they say - are distant relatives. You can see them in the National Parks of Monte Cristi and Jaragua. Because they swim very slowly - there is an opportunity to take a good look at them.

2) Turtles

The sandy shores of the Dominican Islands have been favored by several species of sea turtles as an ideal place to lay their eggs. The largest representative of sea turtles, the leatherback turtle, has become a real asset of the Dominican Republic. An individual of this species can reach 3 meters in length and weigh up to 900 kg.

Leatherback turtles are on the verge of extinction. A big blow to the population was caused by the 2006 tsunami, which destroyed a significant part of the beaches on which these animals laid their eggs. It was after this tragedy that they migrated to the waters of the Dominican Republic. On the territory of the Dominican Republic, leatherback turtle eggs are under the strictest protection of the authorities.

3) lionfish

Draws attention thanks to its bright colors. Despite the name, it cannot fly. The fish got this nickname because of its large pectoral fins, a bit like wings. The lionfish belongs to the scorpion family. The body length reaches 30 cm, and the weight is 1 kg. The color is bright, which makes the lionfish noticeable even at great depths. The main decoration of the lionfish is the long ribbons of the dorsal and pectoral fins, it is they that resemble a lion's mane. These luxurious fins harbor sharp poisonous needles that make the lionfish one of the most dangerous inhabitants of the seas.

4) Seahorses

The unusual shape of the skate's body resembles a chess piece of a horse. Numerous long spines and ribbon-like leathery outgrowths located on the body of the ridge make it invisible among the algae and inaccessible to predators. Sometimes you can fish with a line.

5) Sharks

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 around this country, but the last shark attacks on people in the Dominican Republic were recorded a long time ago.

You shouldn't worry too much about sharks in the Dominican Republic, as most of the shark species that can swim close to the coast are actually harmless. Dangerous sharks usually do not swim to the shore at a distance of less than 2-3 kilometers

6) Sea urchins

Perhaps the most unpleasant and unexpected creatures that can hurt you. If you swim at night, you may simply not notice them. The poison that is injected into the tissues is not capable of killing a person, there is too little of it and it is designed for other organisms. But this substance can cause anaphylactic shock (a severe allergic reaction) - a deadly situation.