Did you know that the Orca or Killer Whale is a type of dolphin? It is one of the 40 species of dolphins found worldwide, along with other species such as the Bottlenose, Atlantic White-Sided, Dusky, Spotted and Spinner dolphins, to name a few.

Did you also know that dolphins are not fish? They are mammals! Their bodies are free of hair, except around the rostrum area (beak or snout) and also streamline (fusiform) which allows them to swim incredibly fast. As social beings, they live and travel in groups or pods, love to play, and have demonstrated altruistic behaviour towards other marine animals, as well as humans.

Unfortunately, many of these amazing mammals are unintentionally killed due to fishing practices such as seine fishing or tuna trawling. They can also be caught in drift and gill nets resulting in their death.

Sadly, many fishermen also hunt dolphins and sell them commercially for human consumption. This is the case in Trinidad & Tobago where Bottlenose dolphins are often captured for sale in local fish markets. Some fishermen supplement periods of low fish capture with dolphin meat. This is particularly disturbing considering that dolphins are listed as protected animals under The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), of which Trinidad & Tobago is a signatory (1984). As such, it is illegal to hunt, capture or even be in possession of dolphins or dolphin parts in Trinidad and Tobago.

The problem extends even to distant lands like Japan. "The Cove", a documentary recently screened at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, highlights the fate of thousands of dolphins in the Japanese town of Taiji and the efforts of conservationists to expose the town's dark secret.

• do not buy 'whale' or dolphin meat at local markets or in restaurants
• if out at sea, do not engage in harassing or hunting of dolphins
• educate yourself and others about dolphins and their struggle to survive
• share the info you learned in this article with your friends and colleagues