FUJAIRAH: Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, the Fujairah Environment Authority launched a book titled ‘Whales and Dolphins of Fujairah and the Arabian Region’. The book aims to combine an understanding of whales and dolphins gained from ever-progressing research worldwide with peculiar attributes of the marine mammal fauna in Fujairah.

Moreover, the book also examines whales and dolphins in the context of human lives, not just in relation to fishermen and seafarers who encounter them, but also in terms of the broader issues of fisheries, whaling, shipping and tourism in one of the world’s most rapidly developing regions.

The third in the series of books on the Natural History of Fujairah initiated by the Fujairah Environment Authority, ‘Whales and Dolphins of Fujairah and the Arabian Region’, authored by Robert Baldwin, CEO, 5 Oceans, and Balazs Buzas, a wildlife consultant, represents the culmination of nearly five years of scientific re
search, including active field study at sea under the Fujairah Whale and Dolphin Research Project. This book, rich with photographs, illustrations by Uko Gorter and Samuel Baldwin and distribution maps by Edith Shum, features the surprising diversity of whales and dolphins living primarily in the offshore waters of this little-studied corner of the Arabian region. Moreover, this book is another milestone in the environmental research projects and marine conservation initiatives spearheaded by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi as part of the Emirate’s ambitious vision.

In a joint statement, Baldwin and Buzas said that the concept for the detailed study of whales and dolphins of Fujairah originated after a sperm whale stranded on the Emirate’s shores in 2012. They said, “This was among several records of cetaceans reported during the first IUCN Red List assessment for marine mammals in the UAE in 2016. This incident highlighted that Fujairah has among the highest diversity of marine mammals
in the UAE, not least due to the presence of a variety of continental slope and open ocean habitats, which are absent from most other emirates.”

Furthermore, they said that it is easy to think that, in the absence of research, Fujairah may not be rich in marine wildlife and with its waters so busy with heavy vessel traffic and human activity. However, they said, the recent years of dedicated study have revealed the opposite: Fujairah hosts an abundant and diverse variety of dolphins, sea turtles, sea snakes, and seabirds, as well as a wide variety of fish and other marine species. Additionally, large whales occasionally pass through Fujairah’s waters.

For her part, Aseela Abdullah Al Mualla, Acting Director of the Fujairah Environment Authority, said, ‘Marine life is a critical part of the Emirate of Fujairah’s natural environment. The emirate is home to diverse marine habitats that are critical for its rich marine biodiversity. Various species dwell in these habitats, most notably dolphins, whose presence
indicates the cleanliness and health of the marine environment. And this is why we have a particular interest in dolphins, given that they are a rare species that enrich our marine biodiversity, enhance marine ecotourism, and provide an additional source of income for the emirate.’

Al Mualla explained that the book highlights the significance of understanding and protecting the marine environment and raising public awareness about its conservation.

Meanwhile, Dr. Fouad Lamghari, Director of Fujairah Research Centre, said, ‘This collaboration is fundamental for achieving sustainable progress in preserving marine biodiversity,’ he explained, noting that the book ‘Whales and Dolphins of Fujairah and the Arabian Region’ is a great example of these joint efforts. ‘By uniting efforts and expertise, we have been able to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing cetaceans in our region, enhancing the emirate’s ability to protect this unique natural heritage.’

Whales and Dolphins of Fuj
airah and the Arabian Region features eight chapters, beginning with an introduction to the oceanography, biogeography and cetacean habitats of Fujairah. The second chapter explores the diversity of cetaceans found in Fujairah and the subsequent chapter explains how the disciplines of taxonomy and systematics can help reveal the relationships between whales and dolphins, while providing insight into their origins in relation to other mammals. Additionally, the third chapter highlights the Arabian Sea as a central region in the story of the evolution of whales and dolphins.

While the fourth chapter spotlights the 22 species of whales and dolphins that have been formally recorded in the Arabian region, including the 12 known from Fujairah, the fifth chapter explores the cetacean body, form, and behaviour. Furthermore, the sixth chapter provides an overview of the research conducted on cetaceans in Fujairah, and the seventh chapter offers detailed accounts of the species known in the Arabian region, with a spec
ial focus on those occurring in Fujairah. The final three chapters delve into various aspects of cetacean conservation, including the threats they face, and the challenges humans must address to protect them for future generations.

Speaking on the research initiatives behind the book, Baldwin and Buzas said the research included specific study on whales and dolphins in deep offshore waters, a realm that had previously not been subject to dedicated research anywhere in the Arabian region. They said, ‘The excitement of discovery motivated study team members to explore Fujairah’s depths, and they were rewarded with records of 12 different species of whales and dolphins, representing almost 15 percent of cetacean species globally and over half of those known to occur in the Arabian region as a whole. This is a remarkable record for an emirate with a relatively short stretch of coastline and is noteworthy for marine mammal conservation.’

Elaborating, Baldwin, a member of the IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group, the C
MS Aquatic Mammals Working Group, the IWC Scientific Committee, and the joint IUCN/WCPA Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force, said that the Fujairah Whale and Dolphin Research Project, launched in February 2017 under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi played a pivotal role in this initiative. He said, ‘Several years of detailed study followed, including vessel and aerial surveys, using techniques such as systematic distance surveys, photo-identification studies, acoustic research, and biopsy sampling for genetic analyses. At the end of the study period, which provided the information used to write this book, the Fujairah Research Centre (FRC), supported by the Environment Authority, was inaugurated and is now responsible for continuing the research.’

The partners involved in the Fujairah Whale and Dolphin Research Project included Fujairah Research Centre, 5 Oceans, the Port of Fujairah, and Aero Gulf Services, as well as networks and organisations involved in the study and
conservation of whales and dolphins, such as the Arabian Sea Whale Network (ASWN), the UAE Dolphin Project Initiative, and the Fujairah Environment Authority.

Source : Emirates News Agency