The Irrawaddy Dolphin
by: Isabel Rangel
Description of Organism: The Irrawaddy Dolphin has a much different appearance than that of other common dolphins and is most closely related to the orca. It is distinguishable because of the round head that it has and because it does not have a beak. Their forehead extends beyond the other facial features of the animal. The coloration of this animals ranges from a gray to a dark blue, with a light gray underbelly. Females are generally smaller than males and this can also be distinguished through the size of the dorsal fin, such that the males have a larger dorsal fin than the female. The flexible neck that it has allows it to move back and forth. The pointed upward jaw of the animal also gives the appearance that this type of freshwater dolphin a smiling appearance. Other traits of these animals are that they are able to spit water to confuse schools of fish, and they are pretty slow moving compared to other dolphins.
by: Isabel Rangel
Geographic and Population Changes: Typically, the Irrawaddy dolphin lives along the coastlines. This range can be seen from the coastal Indian Ocean from India to Indonesia. Some of these dolphins will spend most of their life in freshwater. Because of this, it is not uncommon for these dolphins to come into contact with fisherman and the human population. They are native to the countries of Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. Although, the Irrawaddy Dolphin has been documented to be in all these areas as more research is done about the population, more and more dolphins are not being found as much in these freshwater areas. Some subdivisions of this species are found fragmented among these areas. This is largely due to the increase in human contact between the dolphins and fisherman and an overall declining population. For example, in Chilika Lake, India, the estimated population of mature dolphins is said to be less than 50, which is an alarmingly small population.
Listing Date and Type of Listing: On August 30, 2017, so very recently, the Irrawaddy whale has been moved from a state of vulnerable to a level of endangered, meaning efforts to conserve this animal are not doing enough and this animal is moving toward extinction. It is listed that the Irrawaddy Dolphin is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and also in the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).
Cause of Listing and Main Threats: There are many threats to these coastal creatures and a large part of this has to do with fishing. One of the biggest threats to these dolphins are getting caught in those mesh fishing nets, also known as bycatch. Tourism is also killing these creatures because the noise and the disruption of their habitats is pushing them farther away from the coastal waters. Gold, sand, and gravel mining as well as deforestation are making major habitat changes for the freshwater rivers that these animals commonly reside. These dolphins are also being recorded getting sick from disease, which has to do with various environmental pollutants that can be from the boats and tourists that pass by these areas. Overall, it is important to understand that these animals are being driven out of their homes because of human exploitation and it has to stop. The fishing industry needs to be careful to not come into contact with the Irrawaddy dolphin because its extinction could cause greater impacts on the ecosystems around them.
Recovery Plan:
1. The Action Plan for the Conservation of Freshwater Populations of Irrawaddy Dolphins: protected areas will help conserve freshwater subpopulations of Irrawaddy Dolphins
2. Protected areas are effective because these dolphins are a particular species in freshwater ecosystems, which can be managed and maintained
3. Establishing laws where gillnetting is banned and restricted
4. To promote the safe release of entangled dolphins
5. Compensate fishermen for damage caused to their nets by dolphins that are safely released
6. To offer other employment opportunities to fisherman
7. To encourage the use of gear that does not harm the dolphins and by establishing a fee for fishing permits to make gillnetting more expensive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2DzEQXR1-0&feature=youtu.be
CLICK LINK TO SEE WHAT THE DOLPHINS ARE LIKE
What Can I Do?: There are many things the will help save this species of dolphin. For instance, don't travel to areas where they are endangered and decide to go for a boat ride. This will help make use of the protected areas wanting to be implemented. Another you can help is by not supporting the fishing industry and educating fisherman to safely release dolphins and well as to not use as harsh netting. By staying informed and educated, this animal can get safer and where it needs to-- back to freshwater.
SOURCES (pictures and information)
1. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/summary/15419/0
2. http://www.bioexpedition.com/irrawaddy-dolphin/
3. http://us.whales.org/species-guide/irrawaddy-dolphin
4. http://www.wildernessclassroom.com/irrawaddy-river-dolphins-endangered-animals/
5. https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/irrawaddy-dolphin
6. http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/cetaceans/about/irrawaddy_dolphin/
Super cute animals!! It seems like fishing is definitely the main cause of their endangerment so I hope that there is real changes made in the fishing industry there. Hopefully since they became endangered recently, they can reverse the decrease in population numbers! - Sierra Ramer
ReplyDeleteI didn't even know there was such thing as a freshwater dolphin. These look like really cool animals and I hope we can get more funds to save them from extinction.- Ted Rohner
ReplyDeleteSuch an adorable animal. Although noise pollution and disruption of habitats due to tourism are some of the causes of endangerment, it can be a simple fix if we all think about our actions when interacting with marine life. Great pictures!
ReplyDelete-Natalie Ramos
This is a very interesting blog. I have never hear of these dolphins before so this was very informative to me. It wasn't a surprise to me that bycatch was a major contributor to their decline. Hopefully they can make a come-back! -Dillon Romero
ReplyDeleteThese animals are very cute, sad to see their numbers dwindling. I found it sad that these animals just recently in August of 2017 were put on the endangered species list. It is sad, but their is such a simple way for us humans to stop the destruction of these species. We simply have to be more careful in our actions. Great blog. - Ryan Racer
ReplyDeleteHopefully fisherman can find an alternative to the mesh nets to avoid dolphin bycatch. It seems like these dolphins have a good chance of being saved if humans change their behaviors. -Ethan Rohlf
ReplyDeleteReally enjoy how you covered a species we didn't really go over in class! I really enjoyed the description of the organism and how you went over its counter-shading and physical characteristics! You really made us care about the species. -nicole raithel
ReplyDeletewow! I had no idea this is what these dolphins looked like! It is so interesting that they most closely related to the orca. It is also so sad that the biggest threats to these dolphins are getting caught in those mesh fishing nets. I definitely now know more about these dolphins and want to help. -charlotte rubel
ReplyDeleteAnother threat is lack of genetic diversity, since their populations are so low. I thought the recovery plan step about compensating fisherman for damages was a good idea. It gives them some incentive to be more conscious about their fishing habits and will make them more willing to save the dolphin, rather than discard it as bycatch. - Jack Reynolds
ReplyDelete