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A Balancing Act for Whales |
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By Diógenes Pina*
The
Dominican Republic has protected since 1986 the areas where humpback
whales give birth. The sites have also attracted tens of thousands
of tourists in recent years.
SAMANÁ, Dominican Republic, Apr 9 (Tierramérica)
- In an underwater dance, in rhythm and in parallel, a humpback
whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) and her calf rise to the surface
off the Dominican Atlantic coast, showing just the dorsal fins and
blow-holes of their gigantic bodies.
In a span of 10 minutes the whales repeat the movements four times,
captivating the attention of the 67 passengers aboard the Victoria
II who have made the whale-watching trip to the Samaná Marine Mammal
Sanctuary, 250 km northwest of the Dominican Republic capital. The
ocean giants then disappear into the waters of this 500 square-km
protected area.
Rocking in the waves, the 18-meter boat turns so that the passengers
can follow the spectacle, pursuing the whales that pass through
these warm waters from January to early April to mate or give birth
(the gestation period is nearly one year) before heading back north.
This year, 40,000 tourists have come to whale-watch in the Dominican
Republic.
An estimated 2,000 whales reach the Caribbean coasts each year for
the mating or birthing rituals, after swimming thousands of kilometers
from the frigid waters of Iceland, Sweden, Greenland and the east
coasts of Canada and the United States.
The five-hour tour aboard the Victoria II provides only a few glimpses
-- of the mother and the calf, as well as another whale that appeared
suddenly and showed off its tail above water for just less than
a minute. The scene provokes applause and oohs and aahs. When the
whales submerge and disappear, the audience is disappointed.
"Yesterday the whales were very animated. The sea was choppy, and
when the day is like that, they come out and play," Pedro, a member
of the Victoria II crew for the past five years, tells Tierramérica.
In addition to Samaná Bay, the Dominican Republic has another sea
mammal sanctuary: Banco de la Plata, located 140 km north of the
coast from Puerto Plata.
Both were granted government protection in 1986 because of the great
number of whales that visit the two areas. Only artisanal fishing
is allowed in the sanctuaries, and merchant ships and oil tankers
are banned. Whale-based tourism began in 1994, and in 1998 the authorities
established regulations for visitors and boats.
"This zone favors humpback whales. The warm and shallower waters
of the Bay and Banco de la Plata are propitious and safe for their
mating and for whale-watching," Patricia Lamelas, of the Samaná
research and conservation center, CEBSE, told Tierramérica.
Kim Beddall, a Canadian, arrived in Samaná 24 years ago to work
as a scuba-diving instructor. Now she operates the Victoria II,
one of the 43 boats authorized for whale-watching tours.
"Instead of whale hunting, we promote observing them, responsibly,"
she said.
The Caribbean doesn't supply much food for the humpbacks, which
normally feed on krill -- a small crustacean that is abundant in
cold ocean waters --, herring and tiny fish. During the approximately
90 days they spend in the Caribbean, the adults survive on their
fat reserves, from what they ate during their northern sojourn.
A newborn whale calf can weigh one ton at birth, and gain 50 kilograms
per day in early development, nursing as much as 200 liters of milk
from its mother daily.
The humpback whale is an endangered species, protected from commercial
hunting since 1955 under the International Whaling Commission. An
estimated 10,000 live in the North Atlantic. They have been always
protected along Dominican coasts, but in other regions they were
hunted commercially in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The number of permits issued for whale-watching in the Dominican
sanctuaries was frozen at 43, subject to an evaluation "to determine
whether this will be expanded or reduced, depending on the impacts"
of the activity, according to the norms drawn up in consultation
with experts.
The rules establish that the distance between the boats and the
whales spotted will be 80 meters in the case of a mother and calf.
The boats can draw as close as 50 meters for adult male whales.
For each whale or group that is sighted, only one large boat (more
than nine meters) or two small boats are permitted. Boats that are
waiting their turn must keep a distance of 500 meters. Diving or
swimming around the whales is prohibited.
In early April, the whales begin to leave, heading north. But in
January 2008 they'll be back with their underwater dances.
* Diógenes Pina is an IPS contributor. |
