Chilika Lake and Irrawaddy Dolphins

146- Irrawaddy dolphins were recently cited in Chilika Lake of Odisha. So, there was basically a dolphin census going on in Chile colic and direct sighting of 146 Irrawaddy dolphins were reported, so this census is being carried out by using a hydrophone monitoring technique. 

Hydrophone Technique-

This hydrophone is a microphone which is designed to be used underwater for recording or listening to the underwater sound. That is how they’re performing with this sensor, so for Irrawaddy dolphins you should know their scientific name Orcaella brevirostris.  These are basically found in the coastal areas in South and Southeast Asia. There are three rivers where they are majority found i.e. Myanmar Mahakal in Indonesia, Borneo and Mekong in China. Their status in the IUCN Red List is that they are endangered. The total population of these mammals in the world is estimated to be less than 7,500 reported from Bangladesh. Dolphin distribution in Chile Kyle is considered to be the highest single lagoon population. So, talking about Laguna… Laguna basically the areas where the water bodies which are separated by the bigger water bodies by some natural barrier. The natural barrier could be sand, could be coastal reefs, etc. 

Where are they Found? –

In Eastern coast of India or Asia, the Chilika Lake lies in the east coast of India in state of Odisha which is separated from mighty Bay of Bengal by a small strip of sand, as I told you lagoon they are separated by matter, whereas in case of Chilika Lake it is sand so it is largest wintering ground for migratory birds. All the migratory birds, you can spot them here on the Indian subcontinent and it is home to a number of threatened species of plants and animals. 

The Chilika Lake, one is your Irrawaddy dolphins, tourists come to see them which are often spotted off Cepeda island and the large nalabana island 

Forests of reeds cover around 16 square kilometres in the lagoon area and they were declared as a bird century in attractions near Chile colleague. 

Features- 

The features of these Irrawaddy dolphins see their distribution areas, they have been found from into the northern part of this north-eastern part of India. They’re also found around in the waters of the Indo Pacific, basically they tend to stick to shallow water areas around the coast. They are one of the few species of dolphin that can survive in freshwater locations. 

Their features- they have bulging forehead as you can see short beak, they pop out their head out of the water to breathe followed by its back and the state as I already told you is endangered so they dive quite frequently. In their case like every 70 to often, it is only the head and perhaps a body that is seen when they surface for air. They also tend to live in pods, they live in groups with smaller numbers than other dolphins. They’re highly social but there may be from 3 to 6 members per pod. They’re very curious about the surroundings and have been observed looking around the surface for air to see what is around them. Whenever you see them coming out of water, you will find that they will look around because they are considered very curious. At this point in time this Irrawaddy dolphin, as I told you, is threatened, they’re endangered.

But in areas like Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos it is illegal to hunt Irrawaddy dolphins there, however enforcing such laws has proven to be very difficult. Sea communication is carried out with clicks creaks, they have a very dominant frequency of about sixty kilo Hertz, they feed upon bony fishes and fish eggs. The fellow pods crustaceans, like you have prawns, are taken as food. Dolphins are really shy and also generally divide when alarmed. They are relatively very slow-moving but can sometimes be seen as sky hopping and rolling to one side while waving the flipper and occasionally breaching. They have interspecific competition which we have observed when Irrawaddy dolphins were forced insured and excluded by more specialized dolphins.

The Concerns-

If we talk about Thailand there has been a noticeable increase in numbers and that is a very huge concern, the mortality rate is often blamed on commercial fishing and deities. Fishermen are also encouraged to watch out for dolphins in their nets so that they can be released so the loss of habitat is minimized. Due to dams mining and others, it also seems to be a problem for the dolphin and their survival. So, it can be tough but we need to get those types of events stopped in order to protect them.

Conclusion- 

Direct sightings of 146 Irrawaddy dolphins were reported during the Dolphin Census in Chilika Lake. The Census is being conducted with the help of hydrophone monitoring. A hydrophone is an underwater microphone that can be used to record or listen to underwater sound. Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) can be found in three rivers in South and Southeast Asia: the Irrawaddy (Myanmar), the Mahakam (Indonesian Borneo), and the Mekong (Thailand) (China).

According to the IUCN Red List, they are ‘Endangered.’ The world’s population of these aquatic mammals is estimated to be less than 7,500 individuals. In Bangladesh, almost 6,000 Irrawaddy dolphins have been reported. Chilika is home to the world’s largest single lagoon population of dolphins.