Gangetic Dolphin
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Gangetic Dolphin

  • Context-: India has conducted its first-ever tagging of the Ganges River Dolphin, in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department and Aaranyak, with funding from the National CAMPA Authority.

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  • This initiative, part of Project Dolphin, was led by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and implemented by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
  • The Initiative took place due to limited information on the Ganges River Dolphin’s habitat, movement, and range, satellite tagging was initiated across its distribution area.
  • This exercise aims to study the dolphin’s seasonal and migratory patterns, range, distribution, and habitat use, especially in fragmented or disturbed river systems, and plan for their conservation.

About Gangetic Dolphin

  • It is India’s National Aquatic Animal and is unique due to its near blindness and reliance on echolocation.
  • About 90% of its population is found in India, mainly in the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli river systems of India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.
  • The total population of Ganges River dolphins is estimated to be between 2,500 and 3,000, with over 80% of them found within India.
  • It surfaces for just 5-30 seconds at a time, making it difficult to study its ecological needs and develop effective conservation strategies.
  • Common Names: Blind dolphin, Ganges dolphin, Ganges susu, hihu, side-swimming dolphin, South Asian River Dolphin
  • Scientific name: Platanista gangetica
  • Description:
    • Ganges river dolphins can only live in freshwater and are essentially blind.
    • They hunt using ultrasonic sounds that bounce off prey, allowing them to “see” through echolocation.
  • As a mammal, the Ganges River dolphin cannot breathe underwater and must surface every 30 to 120seconds to breathe.
    • Dolphins are often found alone or in small groups; mothers and calves typically travel together.
    • Females are larger than males and give birth once every two to three years to a single calf.
  • Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Endangered (Red List)
  • Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
  • Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES): Appendix I
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