SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The tiny Caribbean island of Dominica is creating the world’s first marine protected area for one of earth’s largest animals: the endangered sperm whale.
Sperm whales defecate near the surface because they shut down non-vital functions when they dive to depths of up to 10,000 feet (3,000 meters).
And sperm whales in Dominica are believed to defecate more than whales elsewhere, said Shane Gero, a whale biologist and founder of the Dominica Sperm Whale Project, a research program focused on sperm whales in the eastern Caribbean.
He noted that sperm whales are a matrilineal society, with young males leaving and switching oceans at some point in their lives.
Another sperm whale was nicknamed “Fruit Salad” because a researcher happened to be snacking on that at the time.
Persons:
“, Roosevelt Skerrit, Shane Gero, Gero, ” Gero, Vincent, ”, Enric Sala, ‘, ’ ” Gero, Margaret Atwood
Organizations:
JUAN, ”, Geographic
Locations:
Puerto Rico, Dominica, ” Dominica, St, Guadeloupe, Caribbean, ‘ I’m