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.