On the forecourt of the Chapel Theatre in Orient Bay, there are almost 300 people who participated in the activities dedicated to the protection of cetaceans in the CaribbeanOrganised in partnership since 2021, the event is based on a simple premise: to educate the little ones in order to better raise awareness among the older ones.
In addition to the usual educational information booths
Saint-Martin Nature Reserve Management Association has made available the virtual reality headsetsInside, there are no computer-generated images, but real pictures of whales, dolphins, and other underwater animals. “For the past two hours, five people have been taking turns every five minutes to try it out,” exclaims Amandine Bordin, one of the event organizers and president of the EDEN-I association. Seated in chairs, headsets firmly in place, children, parents, and grandparents share the same dream: approaching these giants of the seas.
A few meters away, the My School, My Whale (MEMB) stand is constantly busy. Children and adults are trying their hand at a game of the’goose cetacean versionThe questions focus on marine mammals and their environment. Beware of the dreaded “batteries” box: immediate rewind! Batteries, plastic bags, cigarette butts, and tin cans are among the items listed. the most dangerous wastetaking decades to disappear and directly threatening species present in Caribbean waters, such as the humpback whale or the bottlenose dolphin. drawing competition He too enjoyed success: congratulations to 9-year-old Manon, who won first prize and a whale watching trip with Manu (Wind Adventures), alone whale watcher certified from Saint-Martin.
Growing notoriety
In 5 years, the Whale Festival has gained in notoriety. “It’s important because we do it during the period of whale presence at bump in Saint Martin”From January to May. This helps raise public awareness of their presence and how to observe them from the coast,” explains Amandine Vaslet, scientist and administrator of MEMB. Since the Grandes Cayes trail, in Cul-de-SacA simple pair of binoculars is all you need to admire these majestic species. “You mustn’t harass them or get too close,” she reminds us. There has been a 128% increase in observations on the water, in conditions that, unfortunately, don’t always respect the regulations (prohibition of approaching within 300 meters at sea). The children present understood this well and can now raise awareness among the adults. The event concluded with a An enriching conference on cetaceansby highlighting the BioWhale project, which is searching for a sponsor for next year. _DR
Source: Faxinfo https://faxinfo.fr/en/vie-locale-fete-de-la-baleine-sensibiliser-les-parents-grace-aux-enfants/
View comments
Hide comments