Here are eight of the rarest dolphins that might not be around for much longer.
01| The Irrawaddy dolphin
The Irrawaddy dolphin is a type of dolphin that lives in
many Southeast Asian countries like India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, and Thailand.
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| Photo source: wikipedia.org |
Even though it's sometimes called the Irrawaddy River
dolphin, this dolphin doesn't only live in rivers. It's actually an oceanic
dolphin that lives in water that's a mix of salty and fresh near the coasts,
where rivers meet the sea, and in estuaries. But some groups of this dolphin do
live in freshwater rivers, like the Ganges, Mekong, and Irrawaddy Rivers.
Sadly, pollution and getting caught by accident when people fish are two big problems that are putting this dolphin in danger of disappearing forever.
02| The Ganges River Dolphin
The Ganges River Dolphin was
found in 1801 first time. Locally, people call it Shushuk. This kind of
toothed whale only lives in the Ganges and other nearby rivers.
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| Photo source: wikipedia.org |
A long time ago, this dolphin used to live in lots of rivers
in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. But now, it's gone from most of those places.
The main things that are putting this dolphin in danger are pollution, getting caught by accident when people fish, and not enough water in the rivers.
03| The Indus River Dolphin
03| The Indus River Dolphin
The Indus River dolphin lives in the Indus River system,
which is in Pakistan and north-western India. A long time ago, these dolphins
could be found in about 3,400 km of rivers in the area.
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| Photo source: wikipedia.org |
But now, their range has gotten much smaller - about 80%
smaller since 1870. These days, you can only find them in the main part of the
Indus River and in the Beas River. People call them bhulan.
One of the biggest reasons these dolphins are in trouble is
because too many fishers catch too many fish in the Indus River. This means
there isn't enough food left for the dolphins.
Another thing that's hurting them is when people cut down
too many trees near the river. That makes a lot of dirt and rocks get into the
water, and that's not good for the dolphins. And when people build dams and
barriers in the river, it makes it hard for the dolphins to move around and
find food.
04| The Atlantic Humpback Dolphin
The Atlantic humpback dolphins live in the shallow water
near the west coast of Africa, from western Sahara to Angola. Even though they
often swim near places where people live, scientists don't know a lot about
them.
.jpeg "8-rare-dolphins-in-the-world") |
| Photo source: national geographic |
These dolphins are usually pretty shy and don't like it when
boats are too close to them. They usually travel in small groups and might look
for food together or by themselves.
One of the biggest problems for these dolphins is climate
change. When the temperature of the water changes too much, they have to change
the way they live. Now, they can only live in the warm, shallow water near the
coast of the ocean.
If the world keeps getting hotter, it might be really hard
for these dolphins to stay alive.
05| The Eastern Taiwan Strait
The Eastern Taiwan Strait humpback dolphin, also called the
Taiwanese white dolphin, is a type of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin. People
first found this dolphin swimming along the western coast of Taiwan in 2002.
_1.jpeg "8-rare-dolphins-in-the-world") |
Photo source: www.opcf.org.uk |
While the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin is considered to be
at risk, this subspecies is in even more danger. A study done from 2002 to 2005
showed that there were probably fewer than 100 of these dolphins left. A later
study in 2012 showed that there were only 62 left.
There are many things that are hurting these dolphins. The
water they live in is polluted from factories and farms. They also have to deal
with loud noises from boats and ships and lots of fishing. People are building
more things along the coast, and that's taking away places where the dolphins
can live.
06| The Maui Dolphin
The Māui dolphin is a small and uncommon subspecies of
Hector's dolphin, found exclusively around the western coast of New Zealand's
North Island. It is one of the smallest dolphins in the world and is also quite
rare.
.jpeg "8-rare-dolphins-in-the-world") |
| Photo source: BBC |
The population of the Māui dolphin is estimated to be around
54 individuals, as per a survey conducted by the New Zealand government in
2021, although there have been reports of some deaths since then.
The biggest dangers to the Māui dolphin are climate change,
fishing, mining, tourism, and noise pollution.
07| Vaquita Dolphin
Vaquita is a type of porpoise, and the smallest species of
all cetaceans. Unfortunately, it is also the rarest marine mammal and is
currently on the verge of extinction.
.jpeg "8-rare-dolphins-in-the-world") |
| Photo source:earth.org |
Around 600 vaquitas were reported in 1997, but now only 10
individuals remain in the wild. They are found only in a small area in the
northern part of the Gulf of California, in Baja California, Mexico.
The biggest threat to the vaquita is bycatch in gillnets,
which has caused a significant decline in their population. This species was first
described by American marine mammal biologists Kenneth S. Norris and William N.
McFarland in 1958 after studying a skull specimen found on the beach. The first
living vaquita was discovered in 1985.
08| Baiji Dolphin
The Baiji is a critically endangered freshwater dolphin
found in the Yangtze River in China. It may possibly be extinct as it hasn't
been seen in the past two decades, making it the rarest dolphin in the world.
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| Photo source: wikipedia.org |
The last known Baiji, named Qiqi, died in 2002. Although a
large white animal was videotaped in the Yangtze River in 2007, it was not
confirmed to be a Baiji.
Historically, Baiji dolphins lived along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. However, industrial and residential waste has caused pollution in the river, which along with habitat loss, bycatch, and collisions with boats and ships, are the primary reasons that led to the extinction of the Baiji.
Conclusion
the eight rare dolphin species discussed here are facing a wide range of threats to their survival, from pollution and habitat loss to overfishing and climate change.
Some of these species, such as the Baiji and the Yangtze finless porpoise, are already extinct or critically endangered, with only a handful of individuals remaining in the wild.
Others, such as the Maui dolphin and the Atlantic humpback dolphin, have small populations and are at risk of extinction if immediate conservation measures are not taken.
It is crucial that we take action to protect these rare dolphin
species and their habitats to ensure their survival and maintain the diversity
of marine life in our oceans.
