The Ayeyarwady (Myanmar), the Mahakam (Indonesian Borneo), and the Mekong rivers are the three rivers where Irrawaddy dolphins can be found. Only 92 Mekong River Irrawaddy dolphins are thought to still be alive, and they only live in a 118-mile length of the river between Cambodia and Lao PDR. They have a protruding forehead, a small beak, and 12–19 teeth on either side of each jaw.
How many dolphins of the Irrawaddy remain?
These riverine subpopulations of freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins are highly endangered since there are less than 300 of them left in the wild. Three rivers in South and Southeast Asia include the Irrawaddy dolphin: the Irrawaddy (Myanmar), the Mahakam (Kalimatan, Indonesia), and the Mekong (Cambodia).
The Irrawaddy dolphin’s significance
The dolphins are a key indicator of the well-being and prudent management of freshwater resources, and their deterioration could portend a potentially disastrous deterioration of the ecosystem of the entire river.
What is the biggest threat to dolphins?
Threats to dolphins include habitat loss, ocean pollution, entanglement in fishing gear, and climate change. Another significant threat to the beloved marine mammal is ocean noise pollution caused by human activity like commercial shipping and military sonar.
Which species of dolphin reside in Chilika Lake?
Dophins of the Irrawaddy
According to a forest officer, the Irrawaddy dolphins can currently only be found in Asia between Chilika and Indonesia.
What kind of dolphins live in the Irrawaddy?
They resemble baby belugas, but with a dorsal fin instead of a beak, and have an easily recognisable, captivating round face. Irrawaddys have creases around their necks and expressive expressions because of their movable lips. They can also turn their heads in any direction. They are grey all over, but their tummy is lighter. Their tails are also huge, and their flippers are lengthy and bulky with rounded tips and curving leading edges. Their dorsal fin is modest.
What’s life like for an Irrawaddy dolphin?
Irrawaddy dolphins usually travel in packs of six or fewer, but occasionally, up to 25 have been observed congregating in deep pools to fish. They do not bow-ride, are slow swimmers, avoid boats, and typically dive in times of fear. They rarely leap; instead, they frequently roll to one side while waving a flipper, tail slap, body massage, or spyhop. We believe that the ability of irrawaddys to spew water spouts at the surface may assist them catch fish by confounding their prey and may possibly be a social behaviour.
Although they are in danger throughout their habitat, the total population of Irrawaddy dolphins is unknown.
What do dolphins in the Irrawaddy eat?
Irrawaddy dolphins are omnivorous and will consume any kind of fish that is present in their environment. This includes fish that have been caught on the bottom, as occasionally dolphins will surface with dirt on their heads or backs.
Additionally, marine Irrawaddys consume squid and octopus. They appear to travel inshore and into river mouths during high tides and further offshore during low tides, likely tracing the movements of their prey.
Where do Irrawaddy dolphins?
verse habitats, including coastal marine and freshwater tropical settings in Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and the Bay of Bengal, are home to Irrawaddy dolphin populations. Five separate freshwater Irrawaddy dolphin populations exist: one in Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady River (also known as the Irrawaddy River), one in Borneo’s Mahakam River, one in Cambodia and Lao PDR’s Mekong River, one in India’s Chilka Lake, and one in Thailand’s Songkhla Lake.
Because they prefer to reside in protected coastal waters with freshwater flowing in, such as river deltas, mangrove channels, and estuaries, marine Irrawaddy dolphin populations are scattered over the ocean. Irrawaddys never venture farther than a few kilometres from shore and prefer shallow water.
They look so adorable. Such a nice article, thanks for sharing.