World-class training to enhance the protection of whales and dolphins along the Kenyan coast

Kenyan marine rangers, fishermen, and Beach Management Unit representatives underwent an intensive training workshop this week to help enhance the conservation and protection of marine mammals along Kenya’s vast coastline.

IFAW partnered with Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and Kenya Marine Mammal Research and Conservation (KMMREC) to deliver a three-day training course centred around whale disentanglement and dolphin stranding response. Led by Brian Sharp – an International Whaling Commission (IWC) trainer, the training combined the IWC’s globally accepted best practices from the Global Whale Response Network and IFAW’s stranding response expertise.

Approximately 35 community members joined classroom activities, with 20 Kenyan rescuers participating in on-the-water whale disentanglement training and land-based dolphin stranding response. The training will help Kenyan rescuers better monitor the health of their coastline and assess the viability of rescuing stranded dolphins.

“These trainings will increase the safety and outcomes of marine mammal rescues, for both animals and responders,” said Brian Sharp, Director of Marine Mammal Rescue at IFAW. “Very importantly, they will raise awareness for the conservation of whales and dolphins along the Kenyan coastline.”

“It’s critical to protect the diverse ecosystem on Kenya’s coastline while also protecting the livelihoods of the coastal community,” said Michael Mwango’mbe from KMMREC. “We continue to learn more about the threats affecting Kenya’s marine mammals and are grateful to learn from experts to best address the challenges we face.”

In March 2023, IFAW partnered with KWS and the Wildlife Research Training Institute to conduct an aerial survey for marine megafauna species in Kenyan waters —the first in 30 years. The survey highlighted the diversity of marine species found along the whole coast of Kenya, including sea turtles, whales, dugongs, whale sharks and the critically endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphin – all of which are vulnerable to entanglement in fishing gear and marine debris.

Kenyan rescuers visited IFAW’s marine mammal rescue program last year to learn from the organisation’s 25 years of experience, research, and innovation in marine mammal rescue. IFAW is a globally recognised leader in stranding response. Based on Cape Cod, in the USA, no location in the world sees more frequent mass strandings of dolphins.

IFAW’s Academy of Rescue and Conservation (ARC) will continue to provide long-term support to ensure the Kenyan marine rescuers’ skills remain up-to-date.

This training took place thanks to the generous support of the Dutch Post Code Lottery.