Biodiversity

Around 30 species of marine mammals have been identified so far in the Wide Caribbean Region. Most of them are odontocetes (dolphins, beaked whales, sperm whale and dwarf/pygmy sperm whales), but several mysticetes (whales), and one sirenian, the manatee, are also found in the region. The only seal of the area, the Caribbean monk seal (Monachus tropicalis), an endemic species, went extinct in the 50’s because of overexploitation.
Two endemic species (= only found in this region) are found in this community. The first one, the sotalia, or Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis), is distributed from Honduras to Sao Paulo state in Brasil. The West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) is found from Florida to North Brasil as well as in the Greater Antilles. These two species share the same coastal and estuary habitats and are well adapted to these highly turbid environments.
The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) and the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) are two other emblematic species of the region. The first one migrates in Caribbean island waters to mate, calve and nurse from December to Jun. The sperm whale is found al year round in most of the Wide Caribbean territories. Most of the time, sightings consist of small groups of related mothers and calves, observed on deep waters over the slope area.
However, the most abundant species of the region belong to the delphinids (dolphins) family. The most common ones are : the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), which sometimes constitutes small resident populations around islands, as well as more offshore species, such as pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata), Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis), spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris), Rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis), melon-headed whales (Peponocephala electra), and pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus).

Comprehensive list of identified species (click on the bellow table) :

You want to learn more on marine mammals in the Wide Carribean Region ? Here are some websites you can look at :
 The Sperm whale project :
http://www.thespermwhaleproject.org
 The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance website :
https://www.dcnanature.org/

You would like to hear marine mammals ? You may take a look at this website :
https://www.aquasearch.fr/acoustique-des-cetaces/