Freshwater Cetaceans in India & Project Dolphin

Freshwater Cetaceans in India & Project Dolphin

  • Context:

  • A new international study aims to unravel the unique cooperative kinship between traditional fishers and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins in Kerala's Ashtamudi Lake.

  • Here dolphins signal fishers to cast nets.

  • About Cetaceans:

  • Cetaceans are large aquatic mammals with streamlined bodies culminating in paddle-like tails called flukes.

  • Their body is similar to that of fish, with fins that help them swim and Hydrodynamic form.

  • Cetaceans include whales, dolphins and porpoises.

  • Freshwater Cetaceans: The primary freshwater cetaceans in India are

  • The Gangetic River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica)

  • Status: Endangered (IUCN), Schedule I, National Aquatic Animal

  • Habitat: Ganga–Brahmaputra–Meghna basin

  • Threats: Barrages & dams; Fishing net entanglement; Pollution

  • The Indus River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica minor)

  • Status: Endangered, Schedule I

  • Habitat: Small population in Beas River, Punjab

  • The Irrawaddy Dolphin

  • It is a facultative freshwater species found in estuaries like Chilika and Sundarbans.

  • Status: Endangered

  • Habitat: Sundarbans estuary; Chilika Lake and Bay of Bengal coastal waters.

  • Threats: Boat traffic; pollution; Gillnet entanglement; Habitat degradation.

  • Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin (Sousa plumbea)

  • Status: Endangered

  • Habitat: Shallow coastal waters of Arabian Sea & Bay of Bengal

  • Biological Features:

  • River dolphins have rudimentary eyes and are functionally blind. This is an adaptation to turbid waters

  • They rely almost entirely on echolocation (ultrasonic sound) for movement, foraging, and feeding

  • As mammals, they respire through a blowhole (longitudinal slit) and surface frequently to breathe.

  • Ecological Preferences:

  • They prefer deep waters with eddy counter-currents, often found at river confluences, meanders, and mid-Channel Islands

  • Being apex predators, they are indicator species for the health of the river ecosystem.

  • About Project Dolphin

  • Project Dolphin is a national-level conservation programme announced by the Prime Minister on 15 August 2020, aimed at protecting both River Dolphins and Marine Dolphins in India.

  • Vision: To conserve and establish ecologically functional populations of dolphins within their historic range and promote sustainable livelihoods

  • Key Objectives:

  • Control direct mortality (reducing net entanglement and poaching)

  • Minimize river ecosystem alteration (ensuring minimum water flow)

  • Reduce river pollution and engage local communities in conservation.