Project Objective
To understand the distribution and connectivity of humpback dolphin in the Ungwana Bay Area
2020 – current
Due to the long-range movements of certain species the original project area in Watamu was extended to include northern Malindi Watamu Marine Protected Area, (MWMPA) and a previously unstudied location, Ungwana Bay.
Anecdotal accounts from fishermen suggested the presence of Indian Ocean Humpback and Indo Pacific Bottlenose dolphins, humpback whales and Bryde’s whales. The project aims to verify the species while engaging the local communities. Threats to the animals are also assessed which can include dolphin watching, bycatch and entanglement. A focus for this project is to detemine fisheries and other human interaction with these animals, to begin to mitigate challenges and introduce rescue strategies.
Ungwana is a year-round project split into areas and seasons, the austral summer is November to April, the Kaskazi, when animals are more easily observed in calmer waters, such as the inshore species of dolphins. During rougher sea conditions and the July to October Kusi monsoon the migrating humpback whale is mostly observed and reported by local fishermen.
IUCN accreditation as an Watamu Malindi Important Marine Mammal Area, has been allocated to Watamu and its Banks in 2019 which is assists in defining the southern area of the project a marine mammal hotspot for increased protection, however more work is ongoing in Ungwana Bay to extend our knowledge about humpback dolphin hotspots and migration corridors.
Of special interest for protection is the IUCN critically endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphin. Numbers have been declining throughout East and South Africa over the last decades. This species is found close to shore and therefore is vulnerable to bycatch as their feeding grounds may coincide with artisanal fishing and recreational activities. Anecdotal accounts from fishermen suggested that north Ungwana was a feeding ground for the humpback dolphin, thus further research was required to assess the migratory behaviour of the humpback dolphin populations in Kenya and the impacts of the local fishery on its survival.
