In today's episode I speak with Jamal Galves, program director at Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute and National Geographic Explorer and Edge Fellow.

Jamal's work focuses particularly on the Antillean manatee of his native Belize. Jamal's passion for marine wildlife runs deep and, in particular, his connection to manatees reaches back to when he was a kid, growing up in the rough, impoverished neighborhoods of coastal Belize. 

We spoke from his home in Belmopan, the capital of Belize, and Jamal spoke about how a chance encounter with a research vessel started his interest in marine conservation, how that led directly to his work at the incredible Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute in Belmopan, and how his first interaction with manatees shaped the course of the rest of his life.

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