Oceans Forward - Innovative solutions for marine conservation

On Dominica’s west coast is a 788 square kilometre, world first, marine reserve which is the exclusive preserve of sperm whales - year-round permanent residents. The island is also one of the few places in the world where visitors are allowed to swim with the whales. By creating this reserve, the 250 or so whales that live and breed in Dominica's waters will be protected from ships and thus broken fishing gear and noise. By the end of 2026, legislation to regulate the manner in which the whales are approached by visiting boats will be in place.

What is not generally known is that these whales offer a cost-effective climate solution which benefits all of us. It’s all down to whale feces. Sperm whales dive up to 1000 meters to hunt squid. Between the dives they come to the surface to rest, breathe and defecate. Their nutrient-rich feces have iron concentrations 10 million times greater than the surrounding water at the surface. The feces encourage plankton blooms which capture carbon dioxide from the water. When the plankton dies it sinks, along with the carbon, to the depths of the ocean thus creating a carbon sink which helps to mitigate the effects of global warming. It is estimated that the Dominica whales sequester about 4,200 metric tonnes of carbon in a year, equivalent to 18,000 acres of forest.

The mountainous terrain of Dominica continues deep into the ocean and, as a result, the cold water rising from the depths offers a degree of protection for coral reefs. There is relatively little coral bleaching on the reefs, many of which consist of steep walls and pinnacles. The diver finds spectacular corals around Dominica, especially in the Soufriere and Scotts Head seas.

Sunvil supports Oceans Forward, an award-winning rum distillery (you can visit at Rosalie Bay) to the tune of £10 per person we carry to Dominica. But Oceans Forward is not simply a distillery. With the profits derived from distilling rum and other fund-raising activities, Oceans Forward drives innovative solutions for marine conservation that enable environmental stewardship, create lasting results and push traditional boundaries to make the impossible a reality.

In 2024, The team completed 10,256 hours of beach patrolling to protect endangered sea turtles - Rosalie Bay is one of the prime nesting beaches on Dominica. The lab and storage annex building is now almost complete and will house three sea turtle hospital tanks, not forgetting that there will also be room for 160 barrels of rum for aging! Oceans Forward also opened its coral rescue centre in Soufriere which is well worth a visit when in the area. The centre provided 2,000 volunteer hours of coral care, over 200 in situ coral treatments for SCTLD coral disease and deployed 10 shade structures to mitigate coral bleaching. It also maintained 7 in situ coral trees hosting over 280 coral fragments.

Dominica is a small and unique island. A great responsibility rests on its shoulders and it is not easy to balance environmental well-being with growing tourism demand. The actions it is beginning to take will benefit the environment, its citizens and those of us who visit to explore this fascinating Caribbean Island.