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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com Community
Blue Lagoon Island, Bahamas – The pristine waters of the Bahamas is stretched thousands of miles among 700 beautiful islands and cays. Deep in the ocean lies a fascinating species of mysterious wildlife or “strangers of the sea’, that have made the clear waters of the Bahamas their home, and most people know very little about them. Dolphin Encounters – Project BEACH, the non-profit arm of the natural marine park on Blue Lagoon Island, Tenth Annual Marine Education Poster Contest will explore the wild natural history of the Manta Ray, Sperm Whale, Humpback Whale, and Bahamian Rock Iguana. With the theme “ Strangers in Our Backyard, Mysterious Wildlife in the Bahamas,” this year’s competition invites students throughout the country to learn more about these intriguing marine animals and to express their thoughts through poster art. “Last year the contest focused on invasive species destroying our environments, so this year, in honour of the tenth anniversary of our poster contest, we wanted a positive topic of the mysterious, yet fascinating marine animals that many people are not familiar with,” said Annette Dempsey, Director of Education at Dolphin Encounters. “The Manta Ray, Sperm Whale, Humpback Whale and Bahamian Rock Iguana are special and unique to our Bahamian waters, and we want to promote their natural history, while helping to protect them from potential harm that may face.” The Poster Contest is open to all students residing in The Bahamas, aged Kindergarten through Grade 12. Entry is free. A panel of judges recognized for their work in the marine environment will select the winners. Winning entries will be prominently displayed throughout The Bahamas in recognition of the students’ efforts to help protect our beautiful Bahamas. Prizes for the competition have also been generously donated by vendors that share a concern for our marine environment including: Dolphin Encounters, Bahama Divers, Barefoot Sailing, Pirates of Nassau, Blackbeard’s Cay, Seahorse Charters, Powerboat Adventures and Bahamas Ferries.
“We
chose the topic ‘strangers in our backyard’ because there are quite
a few migratory and local animals that many people don’t know about”
adds Sophia Smith, Education Coordinator at DE – Project BEACH. “So
by doing this contest we hope to inform and educate the general public
and students about their natural history. It is the migratory animals
that have been passing through our waters for hundreds of years. We
also hope to continue to spread awareness of the problems that marine
debris can cause to our migratory and local marine friends. There
are over one hundred thousand marine mammals, turtles, birds, fish,
and crustaceans that die each year due to marine debris through
entanglement
or ingestion. The poster competition teaches students about how these
mysterious animals live and the negative effect marine debris can have
on our environment. We look forward to receiving entries and providing
students with the opportunity to learn about these amazing
animals.”
To obtain free entry
forms and rules, a comprehensive fact sheet about the theme of the
competition
visit
www.dolphinencounters.com
in the Education section; call Dolphin
Encounters-Project BEACH at 394-2200 extension 303; send an e-mail to
education@dolphinencounters.co
Everyone can help protect our
country from marine debris threatening our Bahamian strangers. What can you do
to help against marine debris?
Prevention is the best cause of action!
Marine Debris
Marine Debris is trash that’s found in or around the
water.
The most common types of marine
debris are: cigarettes, food wrappers, caps and lids, plastic bottles, plastic
utensils (forks, knives, and spoons) and aluminum cans, glass bottles, straws,
fast food containers and fishing nets.
If these “top-ten” most wanted of trash criminals were disposed of
properly, our beaches would be 82% cleaner.
3 R’s: Reduce,
Reuse, Recycle!
Marine
debris is one the most solvable problems facing society today! Some
responsibility falls on the government and private organizations, but each
person doing his or her part remains one of the best ways to tackle
pollution.
By properly disposing of our
trash and practicing the 3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, trash in our
communities can be a thing of the past.
An important step to success is simply to NOT LITTER!
For more information on invasive species, visit:
www.BNT.bs
, www. Breef.org or
www.nature.org/wherewework/
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Dolphin Encounters – Project BEACH (Bahamas Education Association for Cetacean Health) conducts numerous educational and outreach programs. To participate in a program or sponsor a program please call Annette Dempsey at 394-2200.
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