NEWS

The dolphin population along Odisha’s coast and in its waterbodies has increased but the number of Irrawaddy dolphins in Chilika lake has fallen

IRRAWADDY DOLPHINS

• Euryhaline species of oceanic dolphin
• Found in
  • Discontinuous subpopulations near sea coasts and in estuaries and rivers in parts of the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia
  • Coastal areas in South and Southeast Asia
  • In three rivers: the Ayeyarwady (Myanmar), the Mahakam (Indonesian Borneo) and the Mekong.
• The total population of these aquatic mammals in the world is estimated to be less than 7,500.
• Of these, more than 6,000 Irrawaddy dolphins have been reported from Bangladesh, while the dolphin distribution in Chilika is considered to be the highest single lagoon population.
• IUCN Status: Endangered
• Scientific Name: Orcaella brevirostris
• Habitats: Lakes, Rivers, Estuaries, and Coasts