About Us
The Spinner Dolphin Project
It was born in 1990 out of a passion and need for the conservation of the dolphins of Noronha.
The Spinner Dolphin Project is located on Fernando de Noronha Island, undertaken by the NGO Spinner Dolphin Center and officially sponsored by Petrobras by means of the Petrobras Social and Environmental Program.
Identity of the
Spinner Dolphin Project
Our Mission
Develop scientific research, environmental education, community involvement and sustainability actions to foster conservation of the spinner dolphins, Fernando de Noronha Archipelago and marine biodiversity.
Vision
To become a global reference in the conservation of oceanic island ecosystems through education, sustainability, and research.
Our Values
Our Earnings
Environmental
Thanks to conservation efforts developed by the Spinner Dolphin Project and ICMBio, the number of spinner dolphins in the Archipelago has remained practically the same since 1990, when the Spinner Dolphin Project began: spinner dolphins continue to enter Dolphin Bay on 93% of the days of the year, a preferred location for these aquatic mammals, to rest, communicate, reproduce, and for females to nurse their offspring.
Conservationists
To propose, create, disseminate, and monitor conservation standards for cetaceans (dolphins and whales) and the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago (FN), such as IBAMA Ordinance No. 05/1995, which defines specific rules to prevent the harassment of spinner dolphins in FN; to add the value of sustainability when it comes to human occupation in FN; to support plans and guidelines for the sustainable development of the island.
Environmental Education
To raise awareness among islanders and visitors about the need to conserve dolphins and the planet as a whole.
Scientific
To discover and publicize that resting is the main use of the Bay of Dolphins by spinner dolphins; to describe the resting, breeding, guarding, and nursing behaviors of the species Stenella longirostris in the natural environment; to qualify and quantify the occupation of Fernando de Noronha by spinner dolphins; to qualify and quantify the impact of nautical tourism on dolphins.
Social
Empower islanders to enter the ecotourism market. Sponsor local cultural and sports initiatives, such as maracatu and surfing.
Economic
Promote Fernando de Noronha in Brazil and abroad as an ecotourism destination.
Tourism
To promote improvements in tourism services through sustainable management consulting.
Getting to know up close the Spinner Dolphin Project
Research Program
The Research Program, developed since 1990, consists of the study of the natural history of spinner dolphins through seven subprograms: occupation and distribution of cetaceans (dolphins and whales) in Fernando de Noronha; behavioral ecology, cataloging, genetic characterization and study of the trophic behavior of spinner dolphins; interaction of tourism with dolphins; Aquatic Mammal Stranding Network.
In Dolphin Bay, researchers have accumulated 7,143 days and over 65,710 hours of observation, and in Forte dos Remédios, 2,979 days and over 20,000 hours.
The results of our work have been published in 12 books, participation in 7 books, 6 doctoral theses, 12 master’s dissertations, 31 undergraduate theses, 44 papers published in journals, magazines and proceedings, and 185 abstracts presented at scientific events.
Environmental Education Program
The Environmental Educommunication Program, carried out in partnership with the Marine National Park, the Environmental Protection Area, the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago School, and the Bem-me-quer Integrated Early Childhood Education Center, focuses on marine themes and the ecological interrelationships of this ecosystem with the daily lives of the local population and visitors.
Our main goal is to raise awareness among islanders and visitors about the need to conserve dolphins and the planet. Services were provided to over 500,000 visitors at the Dolphin Bay Lookout, on boat trips, and in lectures at the TAMAR Auditorium. For students from Noronha, theoretical and practical workshops on Environmental Education were held, reaching more than 15,000 students and 200 teachers.
Community Engagement Program
The Community Involvement Program aims to stimulate the sustainable development of Fernando de Noronha (FN), promoting professional training, supporting cultural and sporting initiatives, and encouraging the political representation of the islanders.
Training is provided through vocational courses in ecotourism, aimed at integrating the islanders into the ecotourism market. Training courses in local tourism-related professions, such as visitor guide in the FN National Marine Park, scuba diving instructor, and English conversation, are offered free of charge. Since 2005, the Spinner Dolphin Project has conducted over 100 professional training courses in Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism.
The Spinner Dolphin Project continually sponsors some of the main cultural and sporting events in Fernando de Noronha, such as the Dona Nanete Cultural Group, the Maracatu Nação Noronha Group and the FN Surf Association.
Another highlight of the Spinner Dolphin Project is the encouragement of youth leadership and the development of local leaders at the Arquipélago FN School, as well as the provision of training workshops for local leaders.
Sustainability Program
We believe that applied sustainability enables a harmonious relationship between human activities and the conservation of the natural environment.
Internally, the sustainability of the Spinner Dolphin Project is part of our team’s daily work and is guided by our Sustainability Policy, among other governance tools.
The architectural design of our headquarters was created according to the concept of sustainable architecture, receiving 1st Place in the 2006 Procel Award – Buildings Category.
Throughout these years, we have sought continuous improvement in our processes, which has earned us local, national and international recognition and awards (see more “Awards and Recognition”).
To minimize the ecological footprint of human occupation in Fernando de Noronha (FN), the Spinner Dolphin Project offers free sustainable management consulting to FN accommodation establishments, seeking to improve indicators related to water use management, energy efficiency, solid waste, liquid effluents, inputs, labor and income, quality, sustainable tourism and legislation.
We also developed 4 Matrices for the Noronha+20 Recognition Seal, which aims to recognize tourism enterprises that adopt sustainable practices. As 4 Matrizes são para: Meios de Hospedagem, Bares e Restaurantes, Empresas de Passeio de Barco Comercial e de Mergulho Autônomo Comercial.
And on our website, in the “publications” section, you can download and read “Life in Water – a practical guide to sustainable management“, which presents the theory and practice of how to implement and verify if your business is in compliance with sustainability practices.