“Tagged & Tracked”: The Story Behind Cayman’s Shark Protectors

Fifty years ago, Caymanian fishermen commercially hunted sharks for their skins, virtually wiping out local populations. By the early 2000s, seeing a shark while diving in Cayman was rare, and the instinct for many local fisherman was still "if you see one, kill it." Today, the Cayman Islands is a shark sanctuary where these apex predators are protected by law and celebrated by the community - thanks to the tireless and passionate work of a handful of researchers dedicated to improving the outlook for this pivotal species for our coral reef ecosystems.

This is the story of their work, how their efforts and creative methods sparked a transformation that proved the merits of their work, and the documentary they created to tell their story.

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The Shark Science Begins (2009–2014)

In 2009, the Cayman Islands Department of Environment (DoE) partnered with Marine Conservation International to launch the first systematic shark research program in Cayman waters. With support from a UK Darwin Initiative grant and an innovative local funding source—sales of Cayman Islands Brewery's White Tip Lager—researchers began answering fundamental questions: How many sharks live here? Where do they go? What threats do they face?

The methodology was rigorous:

• Deployment of 936 Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) deployments across all three islands documented 8 different shark species
• Acoustic transmitters attached to sharks created an underwater tracking network
• Non-invasive monitoring allowed researchers to study behavior without disrupting natural patterns

Early results were encouraging: while shark numbers were modest, Cayman's populations were healthier than most Caribbean nations—proof that recovery was possible with proper protection.

By the numbers: The team estimated sharks contribute US$46–63 million annually in non-consumptive tourism value to the Cayman Islands economy.

 

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Legal Protection: The 2015 Shark Sanctuary

 

The data told a compelling story. In April 2015, the Cayman Islands enacted the National Conservation Law, declaring all sharks and rays fully protected. It became illegal to catch, harm, or feed them—turning the entire exclusive economic zone into a shark and ray sanctuary.

This wasn't just symbolic. Enforcement included fines, imprisonment, and vessel seizure for violations. And critically, the law had teeth because the community was ready—dive operators had already stopped feeding sharks years earlier, and public education campaigns had shifted perception from fear to appreciation.

With legal protection in place, the DoE expanded its research program under the leadership of Dr. Johanna Kohler, Shark Research Coordinator. What followed was a decade of discovery:

 

Population Estimates (2015–2018)

Using photo identification on BRUV footage, researchers established baseline populations:

• ~180 Caribbean reef sharks in coastal waters
• ~336 nurse sharks maintaining year-round residence
• Evidence of stable, breeding populations

Movement Patterns

• 50+ sharks tagged with acoustic transmitters revealed surprising behavior:
• Most sharks maintain small home ranges (< 20 km)
• Some individuals undertake long-distance journeys—one reef shark traveled 148 km from Grand Cayman to Cayman Brac and back
• Seasonal movements correlate with mating and pupping behavior

Citizen Science: The Sharklogger Network (2017–2018)

The DoE launched an innovative volunteer program turning divers into data collectors:

• 69 volunteer divers
• 24,000+ dives logged
• 4,666 shark sightings across nearly 500 sites
• First-ever documentation of mating behavior and pregnant females in Cayman waters (May–August)

 

Deep-Sea Discoveries (2022)

When researchers dropped cameras into the abyss, they found:

• Caribbean reef sharks cruising at 200 m depth
• A school of critically endangered scalloped hammerhead sharks patrolling the deep seafloor
• Two species never before recorded in Cayman: blurred lantern shark and roughskin dogfish

 

Satellite Tagging Breakthrough (2024)

In the most advanced phase yet, Dr. Kohler's team deployed pop-off satellite archival tags on 8 sharks (5 blacktip, 3 reef sharks). Early results are revealing:

• One reef shark dove to 340 m depth (1,115 feet)
• Data on daily vertical migrations and temperature preferences
• Evidence of how sharks may be adapting to climate change and human activity

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The Documentary: "Tagged & Tracked"

James Dartnall, a filmmaker and DoE volunteer, joined one of the shark-tagging expeditions and couldn't look away. "What started as scientific documentation quickly turned into a passion project," he said. He was struck by Dr. Kohler and the research team's expertise, dedication, and the sheer physical challenge of working with large predators in open water.

The result: "Tagged & Tracked: Shark Diaries of the Cayman Islands"—a documentary that brings viewers onto the research boat, into the data, and face-to-face with the sharks themselves.

 

The film captures:

• Pre-dawn boat launches and choppy-sea fieldwork
• The tense moments of wrangling a live shark beside the boat for tagging
• Scientists removing old fishing hooks from sharks' jaws before release
• The personalities of researchers who've spent years tracking individual animals
• Underwater footage showing why this work matters

 

The film's premiere celebrated a milestone:

Timed for the 10-year anniversary of shark protection in Cayman, "Tagged & Tracked" debuted during the islands' first-ever Shark Week in March–April 2025:

• National Gallery (Grand Cayman)
• Brac Beach Resort (Cayman Brac)
• National Trust house (Little Cayman)
• Cayman Islands Brewery (finale screening)

Each event featured Q&A sessions with Dr. Johanna Kohler and filmmaker James Dartnall. Audiences left inspired—especially young Caymanians seeing local scientists as heroes.

Additional screenings followed on Shark Awareness Day (July 14, 2025) at Camana Bay Cinema. This week, Ocean Frontiers hosts an East End screening on November 6, 2025 at 6:30pm, bringing the story full circle to one of the primary dive regions where this research unfolds.

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What the Research Has Achieved

After more than a decade of work, the DoE's shark conservation program stands as a regional model:

Scientific Contributions

• One of the largest shark movement datasets in the Caribbean
• Peer-reviewed publications advancing global understanding of Caribbean reef shark ecology
• Documentation of previously unknown deep-diving behavior and inter-island migrations

Conservation Gains

• Cayman's shark populations are healthier than most Caribbean nations
• Legal protections enforced and respected by fishing and diving communities
• Successful integration of local fishermen into conservation efforts (participating in tagging expeditions and learning catch-and-release techniques)

Community Transformation

• Public perception shifted from "kill on sight" to pride in local sharks
• Citizen science programs engage hundreds of volunteers
• Economic recognition: live sharks worth far more than dead ones

Innovative Funding Model

• Cayman Islands Brewery's White Tip Lager—a portion of every sale funds shark research
• Partnership demonstrates how local businesses can directly support conservation
• Sustained research program despite limited government resources

The Team Behind the Work

While "Tagged & Tracked" highlights the fieldwork, the program's success rests on sustained institutional commitment from these dedicated, passionate individuals:

• Dr. Johanna Kohler: Shark Research Coordinator, DoE
• Timothy Austin: Deputy Director, Research & Assessment, DoE
• Anne Veeder: Marine Biologist, DoE
• Gina Ebanks-Petrie: DoE Director (retired)
• Prof. Mauvis Gore & Dr. Rupert Ormond: Marine Conservation International
• James Dartnall: Filmmaker, Pink Banana Studios

Supporting partners include dive operators like Ocean Frontiers and Southern Cross Club (Little Cayman), researchers from Heriot-Watt University and Beneath the Waves, and hundreds of citizen scientist volunteers who log sightings on every dive.

What's Next For The Project:

As satellite tag data continues to transmit, researchers are analyzing:

• How climate change affects shark depth preferences and movements
• Whether warming surface waters are pushing sharks deeper
• How human activity (boat traffic, coastal development) alters behavior
• What additional protections may be needed for critical habitats

The DoE's work proves that small island nations can achieve significant conservation outcomes through collaboration, creativity, and community engagement.

Support the work:

1. Follow DoE shark research updates
2. Participate in the Sharklogger Network if you dive in Cayman
3. Choose dive operators committed to DoE best practices
4. Share the film—changing minds changes outcomes

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From "kill on sight" to "tag and track"—this project and the incredible work done by its creators is the quintessential story of how science, policy, and community transformed shark conservation in the Cayman Islands - An effort that will prove to have a positive effect on generations of Caymanians, diving tourists, and the passionate researchers and dive professionals that call the Cayman Islands home.

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All data and findings from this article were sourced from Cayman Islands Department of Environment research publications, Darwin Plus project reports, and peer-reviewed studies in PLOS One and Frontiers in Marine Science (2015–2025).