For one of the largest animals on the planet—the endangered sperm whale—the little Caribbean Island of Dominica is establishing the first marine protected area in history.
The government declared that a reserve would be established for approximately 300 square miles (800 square kilometers) of royal blue waters on the western side of the island nation, which are important areas for nursing and feeding.
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Roosevelt Skerrit, the prime minister of Dominica, said in a statement, “We want to ensure these majestic and highly intelligent animals are safe from harm and continue keeping our waters and our climate healthy.”
According to scientists, the reserve will aid in the battle against climate change in addition to protecting the creatures.
Because they stop performing non-essential processes as they descend to depths of up to 10,000 feet, sperm whales defecate close to the surface (3,000 meters). Because of this, nutrient-rich excrement sticks to the ocean’s top and produces plankton blooms, which, when the organisms die, pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to the ocean floor. According to Shane Gero, a whale scientist and the creator of the Dominica Sperm Whale Project, a study focusing on sperm whales in the eastern Caribbean, sperm whales in Dominica are also thought to excrete more than whales in other places.
Why Dominican sperm whales appear to urinate more frequently is unknown. According to Gero, there may be a difference in the amount of squid they’re consuming or they might be eating a different kind.
In an interview, Gero remarked, “In some respects, sperm whales are fighting climate change on our behalf.”
Within the Lesser Antilles chain, sperm whales may be seen swimming as far north into Guadeloupe and as far south as St. Vincent. Of these, less than 500 are thought to reside in the seas surrounding Dominica. Sperm whales in the eastern Caribbean are not as migratory as those in other parts of the planet, according to Gero.
He mentioned that young male sperm whales migrate between seas at some point in their life, exhibiting a matrilineal society. Therefore, he continued, safeguarding the species is essential, particularly if there are few female calves born.
“One calf being entangled can mean the end of a family,” he explained.
Every five to seven years, sperm whales can give birth to a single calf.
Sperm whale survival has been hampered in the waters surrounding Dominica and elsewhere by ship strikes, entanglements in fishing gear, and agricultural waste. An estimated two million sperm whales formerly roamed the deep oceans of Earth before they were slaughtered for their oil, which was used to lubricate equipment and burn lights. Currently, 800,000 remain, according to Gero.
According to the Dominican Republic’s government, the reserve would permit ethical artisanal fishing and mark an international shipping route to prevent the deaths of any more sperm whales, which have the biggest brains in the world and may reach lengths of fifty feet (15 meters).
The prime minister announced that when the reserve is established, his government would designate an officer and observers to make sure the region is respected and that laws governing whale tourism are upheld. Sperm whales are still visible from a boat and maybe swum with by visitors, albeit not frequently.
Scientists and environmentalists applauded the action, among them National Geographic explorer-in-residence Enric Sala.
He stated, “The government of Dominica has realized that the sperm whales, which were probably here before humans, are also citizens of Dominica.” Gero added, “These whales will spend most of the year offshore the island. So, they are taking care of some of their citizens in a way that few nations have ever done before.”
The seas surrounding Dominica are home to an estimated 35 families of sperm whales. According to Gero, some of them are probably more than 60 years old, and they use a vocalization called codas—clicking sounds—to communicate. “That’s kind of like asking, ‘I’m from Dominica, are you?’” Gero said. “It’s a symbolic marker.”
