RESEARCH & CONSERVATION EFFORTS

DolphinCare-Africa’s Mission Statement

Goals & Objectives

1. 1)To ensure marine mammals are protected within the Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation and Resource Area of southern Mozambique and northern South Africa.
   

1. •This is done through various national and international awareness campaigns, to shed light on both the positive and negative impacts humans can have on marine mammals and their environment.
   

2. 2)To conduct research on the marine mammals in southern Mozambique.
   

1. •This is done through regular data collection of the resident dolphin and migrating whale populations (such data includes, but is not restricted to, behavioural and image capture). Key areas of interest include population identification and numbers, general health, calving, and marine tourism impact.
   

3. 3)To educate both the local Mozambican community and the tourism community on sustainable tourism practices, especially in area of marine mammal tourism.
   

1. •This is done through education of our residents on the negative impacts of unethical behaviour on the marine environment.
   

4. 4)To assess the impact of tourism on marine mammals.
   

1. •This is done through year round behavioural data capture, and assessment of such data, during the high and low tourism seasons.
   

5. 5)To ensure that sustainable marine mammal tourism protocols are created, implemented, and enforced.
   

1. •This is done through collaboration with relevant governmental bodies, as well as the local business and tourism operators.
   

1) Cetacean monitoring (whales and dolphins):

1. i.The cetaceans of this area are what gave rise to DolphinCare~Africa, and this program has been ongoing for the past 10+ years.
   

2. ii.The monitoring program has produced an extensive dorsal fin identification program and catalogue, extensive behavioural knowledge and assessment of various species, and tracked changes in behaviour and movement of the populations during the different tourism seasons.  Data collected by DolphinCare~Africa has since been utilized in numerous published research papers.
   

3. iii.This program has led to the development of a Code of Conduct for ocean-goers, for when cetaceans are present.
   

4. iv.There is continuous education for residents and tourists on the different types of cetaceans found in our waters, and how human actions impact them.
   

5. v.We are called upon to assist in cetacean strandings, whether it be to assist in getting the animal safely back to sea; or in the case of a dead stranded animal, to collect data (measurements, tissue sampling, photographic, etc.)
   

6. vi.The monitoring includes, but is not restricted to Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, Spinner dolphins, Spotted dolphins, Humpback whales, and Southern right whales. 
   

2) Leatherback and Loggerhead turtle monitoring -

1. i.The Turtle Monitoring Program requires regular monitoring of an 8km stretch of beach.  This is done through nightly walks during the turtle nesting and hatchling seasons (November to January & January to March, respectively).  The purpose is to locate new turtle nests, measure nesting females, record the tag number for previously tagged individuals, tag those that are not, check nest locations as hatching time approaches, examine recently emerged nests for number of eggs laid, number of non-viable eggs, hatchlings that did not make it out of the nest, and assist those that are struggling to emerge.
   

2. ii.We try to educate local Mozambicans on the risks and negatives of poaching turtles and their eggs, as well as educating the general public on the impact of human actions on turtles (i.e. rubbish, quad bikes, driving on the beach, etc).
   

3. iii.Local monitoring also provides a presence on the beach to deter turtle and turtle egg poaching activities.
   

3) Whale shark and manta ray monitoring:

1. i.Whale shark and manta ray identification program (in collaboration with whale shark and manta ray researchers)
   

2. ii.Population, location, and behavioural information gathered on the whale sharks and manta rays that are found in/traveling through our waters.
   

3. iii.Educating residents and tourists on the Code of Conduct when whale sharks and manta rays are present, and how human actions impact them.
   

4) Beach Cleanups:

1. i.Local coordination of the Annual International Beach Cleanup Day (approximate 30 km coastal area).
   

2. ii.Organization of frequent local beach cleanups, involving local operators, military and marine officers, residents, and tourists to the area. 
   

3. iii.Educate residents and tourists alike, on the problems associated with garbage ending up on the beach and in the marine environment (and how it impacts the above mentioned species).
   

4. iv.To further this program, we are very keen to evaluating the efficacy of a recycling program for the area.
   

5) Dune preservation and recovery:

1. i.Mozambique has, what has been described as, some of the highest vegetated dunes in the world.
   

2. ii.With increased tourism to the area, there has an ever-increasing amount of development (destruction) of these dunes.  Clearing of the dune vegetation causes increased erosion of the dunes themselves.
   

3. iii.We are trying to limit the amount of activity that is happening on these dunes by educating tourists and residents, about the destruction that climbing on and development of on the dunes has
   

4. iv.Exploring ways of how to assist in the recovery and rehabilitation of dunes that have been impacted by such human activity.
   

6) DolphinCare-Africa has been one of the forces behind the newly established Ponta Partial Marine Reserve (July 2009) that covers the area from the South Africa-Mozambique border northward to Maputo, Mozambique.  From the data collected over the years, in regards to the above-mentioned species, we were able to provide evidence to support the need for the establishment of regulations and enforcement for the area.