Trip to Las Terrenas, a natural aquarium in Las Galleras.

Road quality: Asphalted highway

Points:
Samana Puerto – the port of Samana. There, you can hire a boat for an excursion to the whales (between January and March) or to the Los Haitises National Park (the park of thousand isles).

Description:
You should depart from Las Terrenas as early as about 11-30. It will take you about an hour to reach the town of Saman. Then, about 40 minutes to reach Galeras. A little time will be required for preparation to the sail. At the aquarium reception you will be given water slippers, masks and snorkels (unless you have your own ones). The entrance ticket costs 500 pesos (about 14 dollars) per person. The boat departs daily at 14.00. In fact the distance to sail is very short (about 200 meters); you can see the aquarium from the coast. The fish, accustomed to feed there, are waiting for a meal already. As soon as the boat stops, quite big tuna specimens gather around it. The depth of the aquarium is 1.5 – 2.5 meters. But even those who cannot swim will have a good time. A huge black rubber ring is designed for them. The son of the aquarium owner tows it. Simultaneously, he feeds the fish. That is why everyone near him is literally put in a fish soup. You may even pet fish or try to hold a fishtail (it is not so simple though, as the fish struggles out: for some reason it dislikes its tail grasped).
What will we see underwater? Kayo, the aquarium owner, has told us that after a serious storm in the end of the XX century all staghorns along the Las Galleras coast were ruined (so, until recently, it was not very interesting to dive there). He decided to assist the nature. He used to bring the staghorn fragments to the same place, piling them up so to construct something like shelters for crawfish, morays and various fishes. Everyday since then, he has fed the fish that have come to those shelters. Thus, Kayo and his team has recreated the subwater world of the coastal waters, and now we can enjoy watching numerous fishes, octopuses, crawfishes, morays, and marine invertebrates. This is a true natural aquarium.
After the excursion, the boat returns to the coast where Kayo gives to each of the glad tourists a gift shell, and wishes them a happy back trip. 

What should you take with you?
Swimming suits, a mask, slippers to walk on the staghorns, a snorkel. You should not take flippers (it is prohibited to fin there). Never mind if you do not have anything of it.  You will be given everything necessary. Money for ticket (500 pesos per person). 

For more detailed description of the trip, please address to the web blog at: 
http://dominicana-life.livejournal.com/17164.html
