Agoa Sanctuary, Marine mammal conservation area in French West Indies, Caribbean.
Agoa Sanctuary is a marine protected area in the Caribbean that encompasses the waters surrounding Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint-Martin, and Saint-Barthélemy. The protected zone covers vast ocean expanses designed to safeguard dolphins, whales, and other marine mammals living in these tropical seas.
The sanctuary was established in October 2010 to provide stronger protection for marine mammals across the region. Two years later, the Cartagena Convention formally recognized it, strengthening the international commitment to safeguard these waters.
The sanctuary brings together islanders who share a commitment to protecting the marine mammals living in their waters. On Martinique and Guadeloupe, visitors can join observation programs to learn how local communities view these animals as part of their natural heritage.
Visitors can take observation tours from the coasts of Martinique and Guadeloupe to see dolphins and whales in their natural habitat. Timing visits during warmer months offers better chances of encountering these animals in shallower waters closer to shore.
The sanctuary is home to pantropical spotted dolphins that form separate resident groups with distinct patterns between Martinique and Guadeloupe waters. These distinct populations rarely mix and follow their own migration routes specific to each island's waters.
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