GFDD's RDescubre Program embarks on a whale watching adventure

Samaná, March 14, 2014

RDescubre in collaboration with Listin Diario’s Plan Lea initiative, will be organizing an educational whale watching tour on March 15th, 2014, under the framework of Geography Week (Semana de la Geografia). Forty-one exceptional students have been selected from 10 schools around the country to participate in this amazing journey.

The expedition will set off Saturday morning from FUNGLODE headquarters. The group will travel from Santo Domingo to Santa Barbara de Samaná, where they will board Moto Marina boats and head to Samaná Bay to observe humpback whales in their natural calving and mating grounds. The group will be accompanied by an experienced guide and expert from the Ministry of Environment, who will be on hand to point out and explain observed whale behavior, answer questions, and educate students on the lives of humpback whales.

The next stop will take them to Cayo Levantado, an island off the coast of Samaná Bay,  where students will enjoy a healthy lunch. The journey then continues to the CEBSE Whale Museum & Nature Center, where the group will partake in a guided tour, for students to learn more about these magnificient marine mammals, and find out about the research and conservation efforts being carried out to ensure the survival of this species.

The event, which has been organized in commemoration of Geography Week, promotes exploration, particularly of protected areas. The Bay of Samaná forms part of the Marine Mammal Sanctuary, which receives the largest concentration of North Atlantic Humpback Whales in the world. Each year between January and March, the sanctuary receives an estimated 5,000 whales, presenting a natural spectacle of beauty and agility for all to enjoy.

The RDescubre program is an initiative of GFDD/FUNGLODE, which aims to encourage the exploration of nature in our backyards and beyond, learning about our connection to the environment and the planetary consequences of our actions. The initiative was cultivated during the first Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) in September 2011, and has since provided participating students from underserved communities the opportunity to take part in educational nature expeditions across the country.

Links:
www.dreff.org
http://www.listindiario.com/plan-lea

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