She was instrumental in the creation of the first Humpback Whale Sanctuary of the North Atlantic and has won numerous awards, including induction into the UNEP's Global 500 Roll of Honour, UNESCO's Marie Curie Medal and the Order of Merit of Duarte, Sánchez and Mella.

Idelisa Bonnelly Peralta was born on 10 September 1931 in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic.

][3] In 1962, she returned to the Dominican Republic and began teaching at the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD), founding the first institution for the study of biology in the country.

[3] In 1974, Bonnelly founded the Academy of Sciences of the Dominican Republic[5] and began publishing works which became widely influential for those managing and concerned with conservation of marine resources.

[3] That same year, Bonnelly joined the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) and served in the First General Assembly.