The Caribbean island of Dominica is creating the world's first marine protected area for sperm whales, the island's government announced Monday. Sperm whales are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act and as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Hundreds of the whales live off of Dominica year-round.
National Geographic Explorer Enric Sala, who's worked to establish the preserve, told 60 Minutes it would protect the whales from their greatest threats: plastic trash, noise pollution and ship strikes. 'Protecting these whales offers an incredible, cost-effective climate solution that has been overlooked by policymakers,' Sala said in a statement Monday. 'By protecting sperm whales, Dominica is bolstering its climate resilience. The more sperm whales in Dominica's waters, the more carbon sequestered in the deep sea, thus helping to mitigate global warming.' Sala has been advising the government of Dominica on the establishment of the reserve. Government officials said about 300 square miles would be designated as the new reserve