Protecting the Sperm Whales of the Caribbean 

Dominica sperm whales are in danger as pollution, ocean noise, ship strikes, and plastic continue to rise. These giants are spiritual and dossal animals that greatly benefit the ecosystem. Thus, asking the question, "how can we accomplish protecting the sperm whales of the Caribbean?" is essential for the health of the seas. 

Start by Learning About Sperm Whales 

Sperm whales maintain one of the widest global distributions of any marine mammal species. You can find these large, toothed whales in all depths of the ocean around the globe. 

These whales spend 85 percent of their life in the ocean's depths. Interestingly enough, whale feces fertilizes the shallow parts of the ocean and captures the carbon. Losing the whale population in any one part of the ocean will drastically change the ecosystem. 

As of right now, sperm whales are on the endangered species list and are under the marine mammal protection act, according to NOAA. 

Protecting the Sperm Whales  

Many people and organizations are joining in to learn about and protect sperm whales. Here are a few of the ways to begin the efforts to sustain the whale population. 

Ways to protect the whales: 

• Pollution can be reduced by ensuring that our plastic waste, fishing lines, and nets get disposed of properly. 

• Ocean noise is another form of pollution that many people don't think about. Sperm whales rely on sound to communicate, and when there is increased sound in the ocean from humans and vessels, the whales cannot hear each other and their signals. 
• Limit people in the ocean and have guests pay top dollar to be in the ocean with the sperm whales. That money will be used to build cruise ship lanes and create a better habitat in the ocean for the whales. 
• Provide ship lanes for large cruise ships. With vessels not having their own space in the ocean, they can strike a sperm whale and injure them severely or kill them. Sperm whales like to float for about 10 minutes at the top of the ocean before they go back down to the depths. This is when the vessel strikes occur. 

This is only the tip of the iceberg, and more research needs to be conducted. Making the world aware of the problem is the first step. Then as investors and scientists join forces, the planet can begin to heal and foster a positive environment for the whale population. 

CITED: www.60minutes.com, www.NOAAFisheries.com, www.cbsnews.com