Caribbean Voyage 2006

Between January and March 2006, the Song of the Whale team worked off Trinidad and Tobago and several other islands in the Eastern Caribbean to carry out non-invasive whale research and education work.

The Song of the Whale team worked in the Caribbean to support the Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) protocol, which is part of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). The team conducted visual and acoustic surveys to study a range of cetacean species, including sperm and humpback whales, pilot whales and dolphins. The research carried out by the team will provide information on the whales and dolphins that inhabit these waters to inform the new Marine Mammal Action Plan for the Wider Caribbean Region.

A whale conservation education and outreach program focusing on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago was conducted in collaboration with the Institute of Marine Affairs. The program provided the opportunity for local students to work alongside the Song of the Whales team as interns. It also consisted of school visits and events to raise awareness of marine mammals, conservation issues and IFAW, as well as visits to the boat by key policy makers, community leaders, academics and the media.