A Rare Dolphin Discovery

A Rare Dolphin Discovery
Scientists find thousands of Irrawaddy dolphins off the coast of Bangladesh
By Vickie An

Scientists are flipping over a recent dolphin discovery. On Wednesday, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) announced that nearly 6,000 Irrawaddy dolphins have been found along the coast of Bangladesh. The marine mammals were spotted in freshwater areas of the Sundarbans mangrove forest. Others were found nearby in the Bay of Bengal.

The discovery is good news for the rare dolphin species. Experts say Irrawaddy dolphins are vulnerable to extinction. At last count, the largest known populations of Irrawaddy dolphins in a single area numbered in the low hundreds or fewer.
A Sign of Hope
Irrawaddy dolphins are related to orcas, or killer whales. The creatures can grow up to 8 feet in length. They live mainly in freshwater lagoons, large rivers and estuaries in South and Southeast Asia. An estuary is where the river meets the sea, and where fresh and salt water mix.
Scientists are unsure of how many Irrawaddy dolphins remain in the wild. In 2008, the animals were categorized as vulnerable on the International Union of Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List. The IUCN Red List, released each year, classifies species by how close each is to extinction.
WCS researchers launched the latest Irrawaddy dolphin study in 2004. The full report was revealed this week at an international conference on marine mammal protection in Hawaii. "This discovery gives us great hope that there is a future for Irrawaddy dolphins," said Brian D. Smith, the lead author of the study. "Bangladesh clearly serves as an important sanctuary [or protected area] for Irrawaddy dolphins. Conservation in this region should be a top priority."
Troubled Waters
Still, experts warn that the newly discovered dolphin population continues to be threatened. During the survey, researchers came across two dolphins that had drowned after getting tangled up in fishing nets. Fishermen in the area say that this is fairly common.

Climate change is also putting the species at long-term risk, the WCS said. Rising sea levels are slowly shrinking Irrawaddy dolphins' freshwater habitats. These factors are also threatening the endangered Ganges River dolphin, which shares part of its range in the Sundarbans with the Irrawaddy.
Conservationists are trying to stay optimistic, however. The WCS is working with the Bangladeshi government to set up a protected area for the dolphins in the Sundarbans mangrove forest. "The sanctuary may take time," said Mohammad Jalilur Rahman, an official at the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute. "But we are already motivating the fishermen not to harm the dolphins which get entangled in their nets."

Michael-The Irrawaddy dolphins are almost extinct. They are very rare to see now. There are only a few more Irrawaddy dolphins left. But scientists found out that six thousand of Irrawaddy dolphins are found along the coast of Bangladesh. It is good news to know that they aren’t extinct. They are related with the killer whale. We need to protect these animals.