India’s rivers are house to six,000 dolphins – however they’re in hassle.

India’s longest and most holy river, the Ganges, is house to hundreds of dolphins. However their survival is beneath menace.

However these aren’t like those present in oceans. They do not leap out of the water in spectacular arcs; floor for lengthy intervals or swim in an upright place. As an alternative, they swim sideways, spend a lot of their time underwater, have lengthy snouts and are nearly fully blind.

These are Gangetic dolphins, a species of river dolphin – and India’s nationwide aquatic animal – that is discovered largely within the Ganges-Brahmaputra river system within the northern a part of the nation.

A brand new survey finds India’s rivers host round 6,327 river dolphins – 6,324 Gangetic and simply three Indus dolphins. A majority of the Indus dolphins are present in Pakistan because the river flows via each the South Asian international locations.

Each these dolphin species are categorised as “endangered” by the Worldwide Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Researchers from the Wildlife Institute of India surveyed 58 rivers throughout 10 states between 2021 and 2023 to supply the primary complete depend of India’s river dolphins.

The origins of river dolphins are as fascinating because the creatures themselves. Typically referred to as “residing fossils”, they advanced from marine ancestors hundreds of thousands of years in the past, say scientists.

When the ocean as soon as flooded low-lying areas of South Asia, these dolphins moved inland – and when the waters receded, they stayed. Over time, they tailored to murky, shallow rivers, growing traits that set them other than their ocean-dwelling cousins.

Specialists say the brand new survey is essential for monitoring river dolphin populations. Since 1980, at the least 500 dolphins have died – many unintentionally caught in fishing nets or killed intentionally – highlighting the continued menace to the species.

Conservationist Ravindra Kumar Sinha says that up till the early 2000s, there was little or no consciousness about river dolphins.

In 2009, the Gangetic river dolphin was declared India’s nationwide aquatic animal to spice up conservation. Steps like a 2020 motion plan and a devoted analysis centre in 2024 have since helped revive its numbers.

Nevertheless, conservationists say there’s nonetheless a protracted method to go.

Dolphins proceed to be poached for his or her flesh and blubber, from which oil is extracted to make use of as fishing bait. Different instances, they collide with boats or get caught in fishing traces and die.

Nachiket Kelkar of the Wildlife Conservation Belief informed Sanctuary Asia journal that many fishermen typically did not report unintended deaths of dolphins fearing authorized hassle.

Beneath Indian wildlife legal guidelines, unintended or focused dolphin killings are handled as “searching” and carry strict penalties. Because of this, many poor fishermen quietly eliminate the carcasses to keep away from fines.

River cruise tourism, which has picked up in India prior to now decade, has additional threatened their habitat. Dozens of cruise journeys function on each the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers.

“There isn’t any doubt that disturbances from cruises will gravely affect the dolphins, that are delicate to noise,” conservationist Ravindra Kumar Sinha informed The Guardian newspaper.

Mr Sinha believes that elevated vessel site visitors might push Gangetic dolphins in the direction of extinction, very like it did to Baiji dolphins in China’s Yangtze river.

River dolphins face threats partly as a result of their very own evolution. Practically blind, they depend on echolocation – high-pitched sound pulses that bounce off objects and return as echoes – to navigate murky waters. Whereas this trait fits their habitat, it additionally makes them susceptible to trendy threats.

Their poor eyesight and gradual swimming pace make river dolphins particularly vulnerable to collisions with boats and different obstacles. Including to their vulnerability is their gradual reproductive cycle – they mature between six and 10 years of age and females usually give beginning to only one calf each two to a few years.

However Mr Sinha is hopeful about the way forward for river dolphins in India. “Authorities initiatives have performed an enormous position in saving the dolphins. Quite a bit has been executed however much more stays to be executed too,” he says.