My birthday paradise

Welcome to Las Terrenas.

Looking for paradise? If you can get yourself to the northwest part of the Samana Peninsula in the Dominican Repbulic then you've come pretty close. The following images you are about to see are real. Like really real. I took them with an inexpensive underwater camera and have not done a single photoshopy thing to them. It's just this amazing...

The palm trees growing sandside are one of my favorite qualities of Dominican beaches. The other super huge plus of this area is that the semi-healthy reefs are creating a wave barrier and the waters are super calm and super clear. You know I've spent the past year learning about the lionfish invasion and the importance of the reefs and this beach, in front of Balcones del Atlantico is a perfect example of why the health of the reefs is a 911 emergency. 

The calm waters allow you to walk in with your snorkel gear and look away. Some of the darker areas are grasses, but as you get further away from the shoreline the healthy corals start to pop up.

Why don't you come on snorkel with me...

You are starting to fall in love, huh? Well, if you have a couple hundred extra thousand dollars lying around you could become a proud owner of a luxurious condo in front of this beach. See my previous post for a glimpse inside one of the condos. You know I work my butt off at school and here's one of the perks. A birthday weekend at Balcones.

Another reason I am a big fan of Balcones is that the owners are conscience of the reef emergency. They have donated to the Reef Check organization here and have set aside space in the waters in front of the resort as a coral reef nursery. This protected area allows for pieces of coral to be taken from around the island and put here to grow to a healthy size. Once the corals are ready they will be taken to the dying reefs and hopefully revive them. Environmental consciousness, I love it.