Boca Chica is a beachside municipality in the Dominican Republic, 30 km away from Santo Domingo, known for the stunning color of its calm blue waters and… its waste. Tons of it.
For years, travelers have taken to social media to warn other visitors not to visit this city because of the trash, unwanted graffiti, crazy motorcycle traffic, beggars and more. But that’s going to change.
The newly appointed Major, Ramón Candelaria, is determined to tackle these problems and, for starters, he has a “State of emergency” due to the 75-100 tons of litter the city produces every day.
“The municipality of Boca Chica is officially in a state of emergency as it produces between 75 and 100 tons of waste per day, and this increases on weekends due to beach visitors,” he said. “The illegal dumps have arisen due to the lack of action of the latest government,” Candelaria said.
Determined to improve the appearance of the municipality, on his very first day in office the new mayor launched a comprehensive operation to clean up waste and eliminate illegal dumping sites.
The cleanup started at 11 a.m. with the support of the Executive Unit of the Presidency of the Republic in the field of Solid Waste (ECO 5). Approximately 60 people, 14 trucks, 1 retro shovel and 3 mechanical shovels were used to complete this task.
Sargassum situation on the beaches of the Dominican Republic
Seaweed argassum in the Dominican Republic is another type of waste that is affecting the beautiful beaches.
Fortunately, resort managers and DR authorities have developed strategies to collect sargassum every day, both on the beach and in the open sea.
This timeline shows the general seaweed situation over the past few days. This information was retrieved from Algues sargas Punta Cana And Sargassum Seaweed Updates Dominican Republic FB groups.
May 2
– Arena Gorda Beach, the beach where Riu Palace Punta Cana is located, was virtually sargassum-free this day.
– Playa Bávaro, the beach of Majestic Elegance Resort, was sargassum-free.
May 1
– Juanillo Beach, the beach at Secrets Cap Cana Resort & Spa, showed low to moderate levels of sargassum.
– Arena Gorda Beach, the beach of Riu Palace Punta Cana, contained medium levels of sargassum, but was quickly picked up by the authorities.
30th of April
– Arena Gorda Beach, the beach at Riu Palace Punta Cana, had very little seaweed, but the water was clean.
– Playa Bávaro, the beach at the Lopesan Costa Bávaro Resort, had small patches of seaweed, but nothing that could ruin the traveler’s day at the beach.
