The Irrawaddy Dolphin at Sunset | Enamel Mug

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The Irrawaddy Dolphin

Irrawaddy dolphins are found in coastal areas in South and Southeast Asia, and in three rivers: the Ayeyarwady (Myanmar), the Mahakam (Indonesian Borneo), and the Mekong. They are critically endangered species.

The Irrawaddy dolphin's color is grey to dark slate blue, paler underneath, without a distinctive pattern. The dorsal fin is small and rounded behind the middle of the back. The forehead is high and rounded; the beak is lacking. The front of its snout is blunt. The flippers are broad and rounded. It ranges in weight from 90 to 200 kg (200 to 440 lb) with a length of 2.3 m (7.5 ft) at full maturity. The maximum recorded length is 2.75 m (9.0 ft) of a male in Thailand.

The Irrawaddy dolphin is similar to the beluga in appearance, though most closely related to the killer whale. It has a large melon and a blunt, rounded head, and the beak is indistinct. Its dorsal fin, located about two-thirds posterior along the back, is short, blunt, and triangular. The flippers are long and broad.

Unlike any other dolphin, the Irrawaddy's U-shaped blowhole is on the left of the midline and opens towards the front of the dolphin. Its short beak appears very different from those of other dolphins, and its mouth is known for having 12-19 peg-like teeth on each side of the jaws.

The dolphin surfaces in a rolling fashion and often lifts its flukes (tail fins) clear of the water for a deep dive. It is the only dolphin known to spit a stream of water for a deep dive and to spit fish and sometimes spit for social interactions.

The life span of the Irrawaddy dolphin is estimated to be 30 to 50 years. The species generally occurs in small groups of 2-7 individuals, but sometimes may travel in groups as large as 14.

Similar to bats and other dolphins, the Irrawaddy dolphin uses echolocation to find fish, navigate and interact with each other. Irrawaddy dolphins feed on fish, shrimp, and probably other crustaceans.

Records of the Irrawaddy dolphin in the Ayeyawady River date back to an ancient Chinese text from AD 800 when they referred to as “river pigs”. Although the original range of the Irrawaddy dolphin reached from India and Bangladesh in the northwest down through Southeast Asia to Indonesia and possibly even as far east and south as Papua New Guinea, this endangered aquatic mammal is now found in only three rivers in the world: the Ayeyawady in Myanmar; the Mekong in Cambodia and Lao PDR; and the Mahakham in Indonesia.

The first scientific survey of dolphins in Myanmar was conducted in 2002, which found them to be found in a 400 km stretch of river between Bhamo and Mingun. There is now roughly a minimum of 60 dolphins left in the Ayeyawady River, in addition to approximately 80-100 individuals left in each of the Mekong and Mahakham Rivers.

In Myanmar, this amazingly clever and intelligent species has learned to fish in a mutually beneficial way together with cast net fishermen, termed “cooperative fishing”—a phenomenon found nowhere else in the world.

Through an elaborate communication system of calls and signals made by both dolphins and fishermen, the dolphins rear schools of fish towards the cast net fishing boats, signaling to the fishermen to throw their nets when the fish are close to the boat. This practice has been documented to yield a greater catch for the fishermen. This tradition is part of Myanmar’s rich natural and cultural heritage and is one of the best examples of a symbiotic relationship between man and nature.

The Irrawaddy dolphin's proximity to developing communities makes the effort for conservation difficult. Entanglement in fishnets and degradation of habitats are the main threats to Irrawaddy dolphins. Conservation efforts are being made at international and national levels to alleviate these threats.

Read more about the Irrawaddy Dolphins -

https://myanmar.wcs.org/Wildlife/Dolphin.aspx