kayaking – Snapping The Globe

In the northwestern part of the Dominican Republic, between Cofresi and Cabarate lies the “Amber Coast”.

The Amber Coast was discovered by Christopher Columbus, and is the site of one of the first forts in the Americas, Ferte de San Felipe. The popular beach town, Puerto Plata, offers many resorts and a look into its Spanish colonial past with beautiful architecture, museums and a host of landmarks.

Amber Cove Cruise Center, a short distance northwest of Puerto Plata, was opened in October of 2015, to much fanfare, as cruise ships had not visited the area in almost thirty years.

Sailing into the Bay of Maimon, early in the rainy morning, we had our first glimpse of the port with its overwater cabanas, pristine shopping area and resort-style pool complete with waterslides and lazy river. The port also offers a great transportation hub in which visitors can access rental cars and taxi services.

Our original plan had been to enjoy the facilities offered at Amber Cove, but since we had missed out on our day in St. Kitts, we decided to book an excursion to explore another part of the island.

Meeting our guide, Daniel, we were soon on our way to the province of Montecristi, to the small seaside community of Estero Hondo, home to the country’s Marine Mammal Sanctuary. The sanctuary, a natural refuge for the endangered manatee, is about a two hour drive from Amber Cove along narrow, winding roads, through vibrant and colorful communities.

After our arrival, we were divided into two groups, one to kayak through the marine preserve and the other to head to the observation area. Part of the first kayaking group, we paddled through the estuary, admiring the large numbers of aquatic birds crossing the tranquil waters. We all hoped to have a close encounter with the manatees that live in the area since there are very few places in the Caribbean where one can see the manatee in its natural habitat.

After a bit of paddling, we entered a larger part of the estuary where and we noticed the other members of our group on the observation deck on the shore. Scanning the mirror-like surface constantly, we were disappointed to only see a manatee minimally break the surface twice. Extremely difficult it was from our vantage point at the waters surface, it was a bit of a letdown to not have seen more of the amazing, docile creatures from a closer distance.

While paddling back, we admired the clams attached to the mangrove trees and as we neared the seashore, we dragged our kayaks onto a beach across the channel. Walking along with our guides, we marveled at the large number of seashells resting on the rough sands.

Our guides motioned for us to follow as they waded into the shallow waters to cross over to a small island. As we neared the island, the waters were only ankle deep and we proceeded to enter a grove of trees teeming with squawking birds overhead. The waters were littered with the remnants of hatched eggshells, feathers and even a small bird that had obviously fallen from his perch and drowned. It was perilous walking through the area with so many birds overhead and much to his dismay, one of the members of our group was bombed! Yes…poop!

Quickly making our way out of the grove to the other side, we found ourselves in a protected area; waves crashing on the other side of the reef and calm waters surrounding us in clear, swimming pools. Languishing in the beautiful, clear waters, we rested a moment and admired the view.

Checking our watches, we realized that as much as we would have loved to hang out in this stunning oasis, it was time to head back and make the switch with the other group.

Shedding our lifejackets, we followed Daniel to the Visitor’s Center. An orientation with a ranger from the sanctuary informed us of the lives of manatees and how this particular group of about forty, is one of the largest populations of this species that exists on the island and possibly throughout the Caribbean.

We then boarded an open-air safari truck and headed down the overgrown road to the observation platform. From the high vantage point, we soon saw the water’s surface breaking. Though the manatees did not stay at the surface for very long and we mostly saw only their backs or noses as they came up for air, we did see many during our time observing the water’s surface.

Soon it was time to head back to the Visitor’s Center for a quick bite to eat and time to make the lengthy drive back to the cruise ship port.

A little later than we had anticipated our arrival, there was no time to check out the shops and we had to make a mad dash back to the boat for our departure.

As we sailed away, we watched the port and the Bay of Maimon disappear. Thinking of my love of architecture, I was a little wistful that I had not seen more of the area and nearby Puerto Plata. Though we have been to Dominican Republic before, it seems that the northern coast may offer a bit more charm than the packed resorts of Punta Cana. And, after speaking with our tour guide, it seems that there are many other outdoor activities (Damajuaga Fall, ATV tours, cave snorkeling) we would have enjoyed.

Oh, well, there only so much you can squeeze in to a seven hour day in port. Sigh.

Amber Coast…I’ll be back.

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

Estero Hondo Marine Mammel Sanctuary

Runner’s Adventures https://www.runnersadventures.com/
To visit Estero Hondo, visitors may book an organized tour (see above link) or drive on their own. From Amber Cove, take the road to Montecristi, pass the village of Villa Elisa, until you reach Punta Rucia. The protected area is in this vicinity.