Meet Jamal Galves.
He grew up in Gales Point, a small fishing and farming village in southern Belize, where he developed a love for animals. At the age of 11, he caught the attention of a field research team that visited the region every summer to tag and track manatees. They noticed his enthusiasm and brought him along on their boat to observe. He came back day after day, eager to learn more. “Before you knew it, my cousins and I were playing ‘manatee rescue’ on our lawn. I was just fascinated, and I learned so much. Then I realized that these guys were in trouble, and decided I was going to do everything I could to protect them.”
He's been true to his word. For the last two decades Galves has dedicated his life to manatee conservation. He's the program coordinator for the Belize Manatee Conservation program at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, responsible for countrywide community-related education and outreach programs, and also coordinates the Belize Marine Mammal Stranding Network, helping track and monitor tagged manatees in the wild.
Antillean manatees are an endangered species, so Galves works tirelessly to educate surrounding communities who are unaware of their importance in the food chain, shifting local attitudes and behavior. “Not everybody cares,” he says. “But that doesn't make me lose hope. I'm still optimistic that people want to be a part of something, to feel that they are contributing to change. It’s one world, one people. That's the approach we need to have if we're going to save this planet.”
