He became a lawyer in Spain but was forced to leave due to his liberal ideas, returning to Cuba in 1823.

He began to concentrate on the study of the natural science and traveled to France in 1825 with his wife.

Poey returned to Cuba in 1833 where he founded the Museum of Natural History in 1839.

He also took part in the creation of the Academy of Science (natural, physical and medical) of Havana and was a president of the Anthropological Society.

This same country celebrated the 200th anniversary of his birth by the issue of a series of four illustrated fish stamps in 1999.