Dolphin swimming in the wild

Since 2000 the Jamaica Environment Trust has had an active marine mammal education and advocacy programme. JET has helped fight against captive dolphin facilities and whaling across the Caribbean. JET has also helped coordinate a number of marine mammal strandings and with the help of the Caribbean Veterinary Medicine Association and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hopes to establish a marine mammal stranding network in Jamaica. In addition to this work JET also hopes to begin a whale and dolphin survey around the island of Jamaica in January 2010. This work will be the first of its kind in Jamaica and will be implemented with the help of the Sea Mammal Research Unit at the University of St. Andrews and the Centre for Marine Sciences at the University of the West Indies.

Photo: Ricardo Antunes

• Marine Mammals in Jamaican Waters
• List of Marine Mammals
• Facts on Whales
• The Cove
• How you can help Dolphins in captivity

 

With only one turtle nesting beach being actively monitored in Jamaica, while widespread poaching of both turtle eggs and meat continues across Jamaica, it is imperative that a more comprehensive sea turtle monitoring programme be implemented.  In September 2009 a JET staff member visited the Jumby Bay Hawksbill Project in Antigua to learn sea turtle monitoring methods.  JET, with help from the National Environment and Planning Agency and Mr. Melvyn Tennant, who monitors Gibraltar Beach in St. Mary, hosted a sea turtle monitoring workshop for other non-government organizations and academic institutions.   The workshop led to the formation of the Jamaica Sea Turtle Project that plans to identify additional sea turtle nesting beaches across Jamaica that can also be monitored.  We also hope to implement an island-wide education and awareness programme aimed at highlighting the threats currently faced by sea turtles and to stop the poaching of eggs and adult turtles.