Alexander Sánchez Jones

Alnitak, Balearic Islands and Alboran Sea

Alexander Sánchez Jones has studied biology at the University of Grenada. He is principal investigator at Alnitak specialized in cetacean conservation. His experience includes volunteering as a research assistant and whale watching guide at Ocean Blue Adventures in South Africa (2012), attending strandings, handling dolphins and turtles in rehabilitation, and performing necropsies at Equinac marine life recuperation center in southern Spain (2013-present), and he has been part of the Alnitak team since 2018, working as crew on RV Toftevaag as well as contributing to ongoing projects within the science programme MEDTOP. At present, his main focus is on the Risso’s dolphins of the Balearic Islands, developing a photoidentification catalogue as a monitoring tool for offshore MPAs. In education, his work with students has been recognised with two Outreach Awards by the European Collaborative for International Schools (ECIS). Due to his experiences with wild dolphins, he has also felt compelled to contribute to a variety of initiatives aimed at improving welfare for captive dolphins in EU zoos and aquariums, and thanks to his first-hand experiences both in conservation and education, Alexander is occasionally invited on board ships and ocean liners as a Guest Speaker. Alexander has been collaborating with OceanCare since 2013, supporting both conservation initiatives and wildlife rescue operations at Alnitak and Equinac.