Action PA6 Raise public awareness for the goals of the Réserve and our natural heritage Action MS20 Seeking new means of financing

Tourism Within The Réserve

The Réserve Naturelle continues its exploration on the development of eco-tourism activities, a study launched in 2021. The challenge is to give visitors access to learn about the natural sites in Saint Martin and showcase the destination differently, by highlighting the specificities of the island’s natural resources. As a result, since 2021, the Réserve has been leading narrated tours of the marine milieu for the clients of La Samanna hotel, which gives their ccustomers access to a rental boat, to go out with two agents from the Réserve. The highpoint of this project is the observation of sea turtles at the sites where they are frequently found. The only restriction: the sea must be calm in order to best observe these animals in conditions that are respectful of the environment. Another activity is the exploration of the salt ponds, the mangrove, and their ornithological richness, on the site of the Salines d’Orient, in cooperation with Seagrape Tours. In order to enrich the content of the message communicated during these visits, the agents of the Réserve spent a weekend with the guides from this commercial tour company, in a classroom and in the field. Their goal was to present the Réserve Naturelle, with the wetlands as a highpoint of the visit, and a look at the restoration work done in the mangrove by the management. The visitors are asked to contribute to this restoration by transplanting mangrove seedlings that come from the Réserve’s nursery. This exploration of the mangrove in Saint Martin, and its management tools, is addressed as much toward the residents of the island as to its visitors. The latter also contribute to the conservation of the mangrove by paying a fee for commercial activities within the perimeter of the Réserve Naturelle.