If you've ever dreamed of watching baby sea turtles scramble into the surf, the Dominican Republic's Samaná region is making it easier to do it responsibly — and the work behind it just got a longer runway.
Airport operator Aerodom and Grupo Piñero's Bahia Principe Ecological Foundation (Eco-Bahía) have extended their joint sea turtle conservation programme through 2030. The partnership protects nesting beaches along the country's northeast coast, including Nagua, La Majagua in Sánchez, and Cosón in Las Terrenas, plus shoreline near El Catey International Airport in Samaná.
The star of the show is the leatherback — the largest sea turtle on Earth — which struggles against nest poaching, pollution, and shrinking habitat. The numbers from recent seasons show real progress. Daily patrols now cover 32 kilometres of coast, up from 15, and poaching of nests has plummeted: from 95% in 2024 to 29.6% in 2025, then down again to just 7.7% in the 2026 season. That year, 26 nests were protected and 843 hatchlings made it to the sea, following 461 releases and over 1,500 recovered eggs in 2025.
Travellers passing through President Juan Bosch International Airport will notice the programme too: there's a dedicated exhibition space with a sculpture and conservation info, and the airport hosts the field team's office, with a nest-protection enclosure running in Los Yayales.
It's not only about turtles. The programme runs environmental education in schools and coastal communities — 180 students from five schools took part in 2025, and 50 local residents were trained in conservation practices. Public hatchling releases continue as well, and these community events are often open to visitors, turning conservation into a genuine holiday highlight rather than a behind-the-scenes operation.
For holidaymakers, this matters on two levels. First, Samaná remains one of the Caribbean's great nature corners — whales in winter, turtles year-round, and lush coastline that stays that way because programmes like this exist. Second, staying at Bahia Principe properties or flying through El Catey means your trip directly supports the work, since both companies fund it. If you're planning a Dominican escape and want it to do some good, timing a visit around nesting season and joining a guided release or a community-run beach patrol is a memorable way to see the coast.
Who's this for? Wildlife lovers, families looking for an experience beyond the resort pool, and anyone heading to Las Terrenas or Samaná who'd like their beach days to come with a purpose. The extension through 2030 signals the programme is here to stay — and the turtles are clearly better off for it.
Story via Dominican Today.
