146 Irrawaddy dolphins sighted in Odisha’s Chilika

146 endangered Irrawaddy dolphins sighted in Chilika Lake, which boasts of the highest single lagoon population of the aquatic mammal in the world.According to last year’s census, the Irrawaddy dolphin population in Chilika was 151.

About Irrawaddy Dolphin

• Irrawaddy Dolphin is not a true river dolphin, but an oceanic dolphin that lives in brackish water near coasts, river mouths and in estuaries in South and Southeast Asia.
• It has established subpopulations in freshwater rivers, including the Ganges and the Mekong, as well as the Irrawaddy River from which it takes its name.
• Its habitat range extends from the Bay of Bengal to New Guinea and the Philippines.

Protection Status

• IUNC has classified it as Endangered in Red Data list.

About the Chilika Lake

• It is the largest brackish water lagoon of the country recorded a marginal drop in the population of Irrawaddy dolphins.
• It is spread over the Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Odisha state on the east coast of India, at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal.
• It is the largest coastal lagoon in India and the second largest brackish water lagoon in the world after The New Caledonian barrier reef.
• It has been listed as a tentative UNESCO World Heritage site.

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