Our Projects: DOMINICA

Our latest project has been the foundation of a whale research center on the island of Dominica – the first of its kind in the entire Caribbean. Objectives of this project include the further development of the center and the establishment of a sperm whale sanctuary.

Threatened Treasures of the Caribbean

Ever since part two of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” was shot on Dominica, this Caribbean island nation has gained worldwide fame. However, the “Caribbean treasures” of Dominica are not (only) hidden on the island, but in the waters surrounding it. They are (still) home to a variety of whales and dolphins including some of the most spectacular species of the world’s oceans: sperm whales. The most recent research has shown that about 30 sperm whales live in theses waters, divided into five family units. There is a sixth group, which seems to be a so-called “bachelor school”, i.e. a group of young sperm whale bulls which do not yet migrate.

Sperm Whale Research Center

Our organization’s honorary sperm whale researchers, Andrea and Wilfried Steffen, inaugurated the first whale research center in the Caribbean in 2005. It is accommodated in the Anchorage Dive Center on Dominica and features an original sperm whale skeleton. Dominica is now developing into an international center of sperm whale research and conservation.

Whaling

A live whale is worth much more than a dead whale, this is the idea we want to promote in Dominica. We organize lectures at schools, perform excursions for school classes to the Research Center, hold presentations for politicians, hotel owners and the tourism branch in general, prepare and distribute brochures and flyers. Whale watching has become an increasingly important economic factor on the island in recent years, providing job opportunities for quite a number of Dominican citizens.

Objects and aims of our Sperm Whale Project on Dominica

1. establishment of a protected area for sperm whales and other cetaceans
2. awareness raising activities for locals and tourists
3. support of small-scale projects involving local people
4. monitoring and research of the sperm whale population in Dominican waters

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