![]() To support the everlasting existence of this intrinsically magical dolphin, fishing has been prohibited at all times in core dolphin habitats, with the entire Mekong river now declared as a protected zone by the Cambodian government. Irrawaddy River dolphins stay in family-sized groups of 3 to 6 members in which they will engage and strategically cooperate on hunts for sources of food and nourishment. This once considered endangered species is now at its highest population rate in the last 20 years! Animal conservationists are still not convinced that this charming creature is in the clear, therefore they continue to actively fight to reduce the risk of extinction. Irrawaddy River Dolphins are one of the rarest living creatures you will find out of the 1,100 species of fish in this river. The average lifespan of these beautiful creatures is 30 years. Irrawaddy River dolphins can be spotted by their bulging forehead and noticeably short beak as their blue/grey skin crashes through the rippling waves. Smaller numbers shape up their gnashes as they have a mere 12-19 teeth on each side of both jaws, for a total of around 48 – 76 teeth. Weighing in anywhere between 198 – 440 pounds and spanning a massive 6-9 feet in length, these guys would size you up for sure. These remarkable animals inhabit a 118-mile stretch of the river between Cambodia and Laos. Common locations are the Irrawaddy River (Myanmar), the Mahakam (Indonesian Borneo) and the Mekong (Cambodia). Irrawaddy River dolphins (scientifically known as Orcaella brevirostris) are coastal creatures, recorded swimming delicately around areas in South and Southeast Asia. It also found five species of seagrass - Holodule uninervis, Holodule pinifolia, Halophila ovalis, Halophila ovata, and Halophila beccarii - over 172 square km area of the lake, an increase of around 3 square km compared to last year.ĬDA officials said Chilika has 33 per cent of India’s seagrass area which acts as a carbon sink and facilitates the climate resilience of the Chilika eco-system.īHUBANESWAR: Chilika, the largest brackish water lagoon of Asia, is home to around 156 Irrawaddy dolphins, revealed the fifth Flora and Fauna survey carried out by the Chilika Development Authority (CDA) on February 1.Irrawaddy Dolphin in Irrawaddy River Where Do I Find the Irrawaddy River Dolphin? “Around 10.5 lakh birds of 105 species were found during the survey which compares favourably with the waterbird census conducted by the Chilika Wildlife Division earlier this year in which 10.36 lakh birds of 103 species had been spotted in the lake,” the survey report stated.Īpart from dolphins and waterbirds, this year the survey for the first time observed a group of Eurasian Otter near the bird’s island in the southern sector of the lagoon. ![]() The survey also pegged the number of winged guests that visited the lagoon this winter at 10.5 lakh. Around 28 teams, equipped with binoculars, GPS, Range finder and data recording sheets, carried out the survey from 6am to 12pm on February 1. The annual survey was conducted by the CDA using ‘transact method’ followed worldwide to count population of aquatic mammals. ![]() Nanda said the movement of the species to new areas of the lake has been facilitated by removing illegal prawn gherries. “The dolphins are colonising new areas of the lagoon which gives hope for revival of the population of this endangered mammal,” said CDA Chief Executive Susanta Nanda. Over the years, the lake has become a safe haven for the dolphin species whose distribution range at present has remained limited to Asia, from Chilika to Indonesia.Īs per the survey report, a good number of the dolphins has been observed in Rambha bay area along with the outer channel of the lake. The species in India is also protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, CITES (Appendix-l) and IUCN Red List. ![]() The Irrawaddy dolphin is one of the flagship species inhabiting the Chilika Lake. “156 dolphins of the species were directly sighted during the monitoring,” stated the survey report released by the CDA on Wednesday. CDA officials, however, clarified that the population of the species could be in the range of 155 to 165 as their figure was 161 last year.
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