Cetaceans of the Caribbean

The tucuxi and the boto live at the southern periphery of the Caribbean region in the freshwaters of the Amazon River and surrounding drainage basins.

In addition to cetaceans, the Caribbean is home to other marine mammals, including two species of pinniped: one present at its extralimital distributional range (hooded seal) the other an aquarium escapee (California sea lion).

However, like several other species in the same genus, it spends the summer feeding in high-latitude regions and migrates to its breeding grounds along the Caribbean island-arc and the mid-Atlantic area.

Although there have been a few sightings (stranded individuals in the Gulf of Mexico,[11][12] Panama Canal in 1922[13]) and acoustic recordings south of Bermuda,[10] it would seem that these are rare events and that blue whale breeding areas are more likely to be located off the eastern coast of the United States.

[32] The killer whale is the largest member of the Delphinidae family, and its range includes all the world's oceans, although most of the research on the species has been conducted in polar or subpolar environments.

[52][53][54] Clymene dolphins are specific to the tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean,[55] mainly between New Jersey and southern Brazil on the western side.

[67] Its local adaptation and its complex social structure have produced a number of clearly differentiated populations, with morphological variations that are sometimes marked, particularly in coastal waters.

[67][71] The genetic relationships between the various populations, whether coastal or oceanic, require more detailed studies in order to be correctly identified[71] The Bottlenose dolphin is the species most commonly kept in captivity in the Wider Caribbean Region.

[74] In contrast, the dolphins living in the river basin of the Amazon have been recognised since the late 2010s as tucuxi, a separate species from Sotalia guianensis, and do not appear to venture out to sea.

It lives in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins in Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela, but also, outside the Caribbean region, further West in Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru.

[111] Sperm whales are the most common large cetaceans in the Gulf of Mexico,[112] where their movements are determined by the areas of high and low atmospheric pressure.

[113] Although the species is rarely seen, spending most of its time in open sea, sightings have been reported along the Florida coast, in the Gulf of Mexico, and in the Caribbean arc.

[113] Like the other Kogia species, the pygmy sperm whale is cosmopolitan, with sightings reported along the entire Western Atlantic seaboard, from Argentina to Canada.

[119] Many stranded individuals were reported in the second half of the 20th century, particularly in Colombia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands and Mexico, at any time of the year, suggesting a continuous presence in the Caribbean basin despite the absence of sightings at sea.

[124] In the North-East Atlantic Ocean, it is sighted mainly along the edge of the continental shelf[125] and, in the Gulf of Mexico, in areas where the depth is greater than 1000 m.[126] Studies on some populations suggest that Cuvier's beaked whale appears to travel relatively limited distances and have a strong fidelity to a particular region, suggesting a relatively strong social structure.

[134] This North Atlantic species lives predominantly on the margin of the continental shelf and further offshore, mainly in temperate waters, down as far as Florida[135] and the Bahamas.

[72] In some regions of the Caribbean, the development of oilfields contributes to this problem, either directly by drilling wells or by the maritime traffic generated and the installations required by the oil industry.

The Caribbean islands, other than in local cases, are not greatly affected by this problem, but algal blooms have been recorded, particularly in Florida, causing unusual mortality events among bottlenose dolphins.

[72] Recreational observation of marine mammals, generally referred to as whale watching, began at least 50 years ago in the Caribbean, and has since shown continuous growth.

[149] Although the practice can support the economic development of certain territories, while playing an important awareness-raising role, it can also be highly damaging for the whales if it is poorly implemented or too intensive.

[72] The LifeWeb project, completed in 2014, provided an initial analysis of the distribution of the species by cross-referencing the various available data sources in the form of an interactive map.

[72] Noise pollution has a strong impact on the various marine mammal species, as they depend on sound for major aspects of their life, such as communication and location .

[72] Maritime traffic along the major sea lanes in the Caribbean can lead to collisions with the large cetaceans, and at the same time increase noise pollution in the marine environment.

[72][155] At global level, the member countries of the International Whaling Commission have ratified a moratorium banning the hunting of certain cetacean species.

At regional level, the signatory countries of the SPAW Protocol of the Cartagena Convention undertake to provide total protection of the marine mammals on their territory.

[158] In 2014 the LifeWeb project put forward various scenarios to reinforce the protection of marine mammals at regional level, such as the establishment of three Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSA): North of the Dominican Republic and North of Puerto Rico; at the Virgin Islands channel West of Saint Thomas; and North-West of Saint Lucia, along Martinique and Dominica and South of Guadeloupe.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, these large marine protected areas have signed cooperation agreements, encouraged by the NOAA[160] Sister Sanctuaries programme.

[164] In April 2021, the scientific and technical committee of the SPAW protocol[165] asked the secretariat to consider organising a regional activity network based on the results of the project.

[167] It was established in 2010 and recognised under the SPAW protocol of the Cartagena Convention in 2012, with the objective of ensuring "a favorable conservation status for marine mammals by protecting them and their habitats from the direct or indirect, proven or potential negative impacts deriving from human activities".

[169] The exclusive economic zones of these three islands forming the Dutch Caribbean together constitute a 25,390 km2 sanctuary dedicated to the conservation of marine mammals and sharks.