Occurrence and Conservation of Marine Mammals Around Jamaica and the Cayman Islands

Christine O’Sullivan; Janice Blumenthal; Mauvis Gore; Zsuzsanna Bräger; Stefan Bräger

Occurrence and Conservation of Marine Mammals Around Jamaica and the Cayman Islands

Christine O’Sullivan^1,*, Janice Blumenthal², Mauvis Gore³, Zsuzsanna Bräger⁴, and Stefan Bräger⁴

¹Environmental Sciences Division, Faculty of Science and Sport, University of Technology, Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica. ²Department of Environment, PO Box 10202, KY1-1002, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. ³Marine Conservation International and Centre for Marine Biodiversity and Biotechnology, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. ⁴German Oceanographic Museum (DMM), Katharinenberg 14-20, 18439 Stralsund, Germany. *Corresponding author.

Caribbean Naturalist, No. 106 (2026)

Published 3 August 2026

Abstract
Although over 30 marine mammal species have been recorded within the Wider Caribbean Region, information on the species occurring around Jamaica and the Cayman Islands remains limited. In this study, we aimed to document the occurrence of marine mammal species in Jamaican and Caymanian waters based on documented sightings, strandings, and published reports. A total of 21 species were recorded, consisting of 18 odontocetes, 2 mysticetes, and 1 sirenian. Furthermore, we herein identify potential threats and propose local conservation measures to safeguard these species.

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