The Natural History Society of Jamaica (NHSJ) coordinated the project which is presently underway to remove the three manatees from the Alligator Hole River (AHR). NHSJ visited the AHR and saw that the manatees were trapped. The manatees were unable to get into the sea, due to a blockage at the mouth of the river, so they had eaten off almost all the plants in the river. NHSJ then contacted the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA), who in turn requested NHSJ's help in the development of a conservation programme. NHSJ applied for funding from the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica (EFJ) to do a preliminary study. This preliminary survey was carried out by Save The Manatee Club, which is an international organization based in Florida. The survey concluded that the manatees should be returned to the wild, and that there would be three phases to this process.

NHSJ organized a 'manatee working group' to help in monitoring the project and also to give direction. This group consists of people from the National Resources Conservation Authority, The University of The West Indies, Mona Campus (Life Sciences Dept.), and the NHSJ, with Save The Manatee Club as consultants. There are approximately 50 members in total, and they started working in November of 1998.

NHSJ is a nonprofit organization which works on environmental awareness/education, environmental management and natural history in Jamaica. It's aim is "to study the Jamaican environment and promote its conservation with special regard to the flora and fauna". NHSJ has a diverse group of citizens as its members. They possess a wealth of knowledge and expertise, thus making NHSJ well suited for the task of promoting the conservation of the Jamaican environment.