‘Wild East’: A Surf Ecosystem Worth Protecting 🏄

‘Wild East’: A Surf Ecosystem Worth Protecting

In November, we dedicated the 13th World Surfing Reserve - Oriente Salvaje, El Salvador. But the dedication is only the beginning. Now, we are working hard to protect what makes this place so special.

A quick glance at Oriente Salvaje's surf ecosystem:

🌊 19km of coastline

🏄 12+ surf breaks - Las Flores and Punta Mango

🌴 6000+ hectares of Tropical Dry Forest

🦜 7 IUCN endangered species present

🐢 4 species of nesting sea turtles

🌿 19 unique plant species present

Keep scrolling to learn more about Oriente Salvaje World Surfing Reserve: meet our local partners, understand the issues and solutions, plus learn about our newest pilot project underway in Las Flores.

Dedication Recap Video

See and hear what makes the Oriente Salvaje WSR so special. Featuring speeches from local partners and stakeholders and footage of Oriente Salvaje's diverse surf ecosystem.

“This geography is unique on the Pacific slope of Northern Central America. It hosts mature and secondary forests bordering biodiverse and wave-forming rocky reefs. Threatened and endangered wildlife like hawksbill sea turtles, Salvadorean spider monkeys, and Pacific mahogany trees depend on this area. The vision set forth through the World Surfing Reserve designation will support its sustainable management into the future.”

- Sarah Otterstrom
Executive Director of Paso Pacifico and Oriente Salvaje WSR Member

Meet Our Coalition Partners: Who's Behind El Salvador’s First WSR?

Every World Surfing Reserve represents a coalition of passionate individuals and local groups beyond Save The Waves. Together, our combined dedication leads to the preservation and integrity of the area.

For Oriente Salvaje, organizations such as ADETCO, Sociedad Salvaje Salvadoreña, and Paso Pacifico have led conservation initiatives and instituted tourism sustainability standards. Together, they led the effort to nominate and dedicate the eastern region of Oriente Salvaje as a World Surfing Reserve. Now, this Coalition is working together under the banner of the WSR.

What's Next: A Critical Juncture for the Environment and the Economy

The Issue: El Salvador’s eastern region is at a key turning point with a rapidly developing coastline. As the popularity of surfing has grown in the country, the Oriente Salvaje World Surfing Reserve is working to proactively protect its pristine coastline while balancing ongoing development pressure.

The Solution: The work of the World Surfing Reserve will focus on 1) expanding protected areas in the tropical dry forest, 2) instituting sustainability standards and 3) working towards marine protection initiatives.

All of this work will help safeguard the ecosystems that create the incredible point breaks of Oriente Salvaje.

A Groundbreaking Project Underway

In addition to the environmental initiatives of the World Surfing Reserves program, the area around Las Flores will also be the site of an innovative pilot program conducted by Save The Waves: the world’s first parametric insurance for climate resilience at a surfing location.

“This pilot project is the first of its kind to leverage parametric insurance to support the communities of Oriente Salvaje who rely on surfing for their livelihoods during extreme weather events. It's a great opportunity for the WSR and El Salvador to be at the forefront of climate resilience for surf ecosystems."

Diego Sancho Gallegos
Stewardship and Resilience Manager at Save The Waves

This project was supported by the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA).

This project was undertaken with the financial support of:
Ce projet a été réalisé avec l'appui financier de:

This project was supported by the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA).

This project was undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada through the federal Department of Environment and Climate Change.

Ce projet a été réalisé avec l'appui financier du gouvernement du Canada agissant par l'entremise du ministère fédéral de l'Environnement et du Changement climatique.

Learn More About Oriente Salvaje

Save The Waves

849 Almar Av Suite C 163

Santa Cruz, California 95060

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