Piscina Natural and the Giant Red-Cushion Starfish in the Dominican Republic

One of the main highlights of the Dominican Republic is a visit to “Piscina Natural”. This incredible place offers guests the unique opportunity to stand knee-deep on a sand bank in the Caribbean Sea in the National Park of the East. Piscina Natural really is one of the amazing treasures the Dominican Republic has to offer. Admire the Giant Red Cushion Starfish in their natural habitat.

Piscina Natural sandbank - Dominican Republic

The number of excursions offered is vast, but there is one that always conquers the heart of tourists: the excursion to Saona island.

Saona is a tropical island located on the southeast of the Dominican Republic and only a few minutes away from the mainland. The island is famous for the beauty of its pristine beaches and because it is part of the protected area of the National Park of the East.

Not everyone knows that Saona is a favourite place for Sea Turtles to lay their eggs.

Baby Sea Turtle - Mano Juan village, Saona Island

The seas around Saona island are rich in wildlife and represent an authentic, uncontaminated paradise for divers, snorkelers and for all tourists in general. Piscina Natural (Spanish for “Natural Swimming Pool”) amazes every single tourist that visits it every day.

Piscina Natural is a lucky mandatory stop on the way to Saona Island.

This large, shallow sand bank in the middle of the Caribbean Sea is well known not only for its stunning beauty but also for the indigenous Giant Red Cushion Starfish that inhabit the area.

During the visit, everybody will be given the chance to learn about these gorgeous animals. Tourists are allowed to touch and take a picture with the starfish as long as they respect the guide’s instructions to handling them. Indeed, starfish are just like fish and they breathe filtering the oxygen out of water. Giant Red Cushion Starfish generally have five “legs”, each of them ending in an eye that perceives movement.

When starfish mate, they position one next to the other, the male releases the semen while the female releases the eggs, which are fertilized in the water.

Starfish usually live up to ten years of age and are some of the most primitive but wonderful creatures on Earth.

Visit Piscina Natural and the starfish on the Saona Crusoe VIP Tour offered by SeavisTours - the leader in Eco Tours in the Dominican Republic.

The Parque Nacional del Este In the Dominican Republic is a wonderland for the eco vacationer

The "Parque Nacional del Este" In the Dominican Republic is also known by its English name, "East National Park" or "National Park of the East." This huge park is found in the southeastern corner of the Dominican Republic in the province of La Altagracia, less than an hour from the Punta Cana airportcoast. The location makes it a simple target for visitors staying in Punta Cana resorts. They could go there in the morning, have a rewarding day of exploration, and afterwards return to at night for dinner and leisure. For many, actually, these Punta Cana journeys to the park end up being the highlight of their trip to the Dominican Republic.

The Parque Nacional del Este was established on September 16, 1975. Within its borders, more than 190267 acres of environmentally and culturally significant land were maintained. The East National Park consists of a lowland with tropical moist broadleaf woodlands,  salt water lagoons, mangroves, and grassy seasides. The biodiversity of the park is incredible with more than 570 species living there. It is the home of numerous endangered species consisting of 4 species of sea turtles and numerous threatened bird varieties. The marine part of the park includes Saona Island, Catalinita Island, Catalina Island, and numerous smaller sized offshore islands.

The Parque Nacional del Este is also riddled with cave systems carved out of limestone, sinkholes, and underground lakes. The caverns consist of many Taino artefacts and there are unspoiled instances of Taino art work on the wall surfaces of the caverns. The Taino indians were the indigenous people who prospered in the region prior to 1492 when Christopher Columbus and other Europeans arrived. They were a fairly peaceful people and had a complicated society. There are still numerous Taino archaelogical remains to be discovered in the caverns and elsewhere within the Parque Nacional del Este.

Of course, the Parque Nacional del Este has a special appeal for eco-tourism and the very best journeys into the park are led by eco-tour operators who have an important affinity for the nature and culture within and a special passion and ability in passing on these treasures to their tour group.

One such eco-tour driver in the Dominican Republic is Seavis Tours. As a matter of fact, their Saona Island tour is ranked # 1 in the country. They also have numerous other Punta Cana journeys into the Parque Nacional del Este consisting of a new tour to the inside of the park. Select the link to find out even more.