Wild Dolphins in North Sound, Cayman Islands
The Cayman Department of Environment notes there have been more sightings of bottlenose dolphins than normal in North Sound recently. Anecdotally, bottlenose dolphins are not permanently resident in Grand Cayman. Several reports have been received of single dolphins and one report of four to five bottlenose dolphins seen together.
According to Timothy Austin, Deputy Director Research and Assessment with the Department of Environment, it’s difficult to confirm the number of animals present or how long they have been resident in Cayman waters, as there seems to have been at least several sightings of the same individual.
In July 2008, the DoE initiated a Marine Animal Sightings Database, asking members of the public to report sightings of dolphins, whales, manatees, sharks, manta rays, and other large marine animals. Since the database began, three sightings of pods of oceanic dolphins and seven sightings of bottlenose dolphins have been reported.
Mr. Austin explained that there are usually no coastal dolphins normally resident in the waters around Cayman possibly because Cayman’s coastal shelf area is so small. They are shallow water creatures and don’t tend to cross ocean channels. They are coastal mammals.
The Department of Environment has recently received Overseas Territories Environment Programme funding for a project with the Save Our Seas Foundation that intends to establish baseline surveys for marine mammals in the area. This is planned for November to December of this year. The public can report marine mammal sightings to the DoE marine mammal database by calling 949^8469 or by e^mailing DoE@gov.ky. Photos of sightings would also be welcomed.
(resource: CayCompass)