Dolphins in critical state - List of most threatened species

 

   Dolphins are considered as a playful funny mammals found in theme parks jumping through the hoops or racing with the boats. What we don’t think of are the problems we cause to them. All over the world, various types of dolphins are in grave danger of extinction.

   There are 40 different species of dolphins scattered around the world. We can see them along rivers and coasts of South Asia, Southeast Asia, Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic and Pacific regions. Off the 40 species, many are in critically endangered conditions, mainly because of us, HUMANS!!

   Yes, almost all of the threats to the survival of these mammals are manmade. Fishing nets, hooks, underwater mining processes, destruction of natural habitat, building water reservoirs leading to dividing a species, pollution, pesticides, etc., are some of the threats the dolphins face.

   Right now there are various steps taken to make sure their survival. These include World Wildlife Fund, a charitable organization which combines with the local partners to take precautions and create a safe environment not only for dolphins, but to almost all the endangered floras and faunas. Let’s dive in and discuss and get to know some of the species of endangered dolphins.

Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphins

Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin near Oman
Credit: Mandy via Wikipedia Commons

   As the name indicates, they are found across the coasts of South Asia, Persian Gulf, Arabian Peninsula and Eastern African Coasts. They are classified as endangered species and are found mostly found within 20 meters of the sea level. Their total population is estimated to be around 10,000. Since this species is commonly found in shallow waters, many are susceptible to collision with boats. Several common threats like fishing gears, noise pollution and mining are several other threats.

Hector’s Dolphins

 

Hector's dolphins in Canterbury, New Zealand
Credit: Tomas Sobek via Wikipedia Commons

  Named after the person who first examined the species, these dolphins are only found around the coasts of New Zealand. This species is labelled endangered and efforts are being made to ensure their safety. At present there are around 7381 dolphins of this kind. Mostly they are found around the South Island.

Maui Dolphins

   One of the two subspecies of Hector’s species, the Maui Dolphins is found near the west coast of North Island. They are recorded as critically endangered in the IUCN red list. Less than 100 animals of this species are currently alive.

South Asian River Dolphins

Gangetic River Dolphin
Credit: Ravindra Kumar Sinha via DownToEarth

   Originally thought to be two different species, the Indus River Dolphins and Ganges River Dolphins are later found to be subpopulations of a same species. They are now commonly called as South Asian River Dolphins. They are found in Indus and Ganges Rivers and their tributaries. Due to high pollution levels, the population of both the sub species dropped drastically. Now, due to local and contributions, their numbers are beginning to rise. Right now, there are about 3,500 Ganges dolphins and 1,816 Indus Dolphins present in the rivers of South Asia.

Atlantic Humpback Dolphins

Atlantic Humpback Dolphins
Credit: WCS Congo

   Atlantic Humpback Dolphins are found along the West African Coasts, mostly within the Gulf of Guinea. These dolphins are found to be shy. They do not bow-ride or jump out of the water. Yet there are reports that they engage in cooperative fishing with Mauritanian fishermen by driving fishes towards their nets. They are shallow dwellers and sometimes get caught before ships and nets. The population of this species is estimated to be only around 1500.

Fiordland Bottlenose Dolphins

Fiordland Dolphins
Credit: Cruise Milford

   This is a subspecies of Bottlenose Dolphins found in Fiordland, New Zealand. They are considered to be critically endangered. According to latest reports, there are only 205 members are alive and only 123 are mature. Mining and shipping lanes are some of the threats for these Fiordland natives.

Taiwanese Humpback Dolphins

Taiwanese Humpback Dolphin
Credit: Lindsey Porter via Awesome Ocean

    Taiwanese Humpbacks are subspecies of Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins found only near the estuaries of West Taiwan Coast. These animals are easily distinguished from other species. Adults are white or pale pink colored while the calves are grey. Recent studies show that only 37-44 individuals are presently alive.

Irrawaddy Dolphins

Irrawaddy dolphins near Sunderbans, West Bengal
Credit: Dibyendu Ash vis Wikipedia Commons

   The Irrawaddy Dolphins are known for their resemblance to Killer Whales. Sometimes they are not considered as the true dolphins. There are various subspecies found at 8 different regions from Eastern India to Philippines. There is no complete survey, yet estimation shows that about 7,000 individuals are currently surviving. The list of some of the subpopulation and their population are listed below,

• Sunderbans                 - 5832   
• Chilika Lake                - 152      
• Mekong River             - 78-91  
• Mahakam River          - 70       
• Malampaya Sound     - 42       
• Ayeyarwady                 - 58-72 
• Songkhla Lake             - 50     

(RED - Critically Endangered; BLUE - Vulnerable)

Gulf of Corinth Common Dolphins

Common Dolphins
Credit: NOAA NMFS via Wikipedia Commons

   This subspecies of Common Dolphins are found in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece. This is by far the most endangered species of dolphins. At present there are only 10 members of the species alive. A marine mammal task force have been recently formed to take care of this species and striped dolphins this semi enclosed gulf according to IUCN regulations.

Baiji Dolphins

Baiji Dolphin
Credit: Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
via Wikipedia Commons

   Baiji is possibly an extinct dolphin species. This species lived in the Yangtze River situated in China. Their extinction is mainly because of the pollution of the river and the associated lakes. The conservation efforts have failed miserably. Few undocumented sightings have been reported, but there is no possible proof for existence of the species.

   Apart from the above mentioned species, many different species are low in number. The exact population and relevant data for these are not yet known. Such kinds include Amazon river Dolphins, Burrunan Dolphins, Tucuxi, Chilean Dolphins, Costero, Clymene Dolphins, etc.,.

Conclusion

   As I have mentioned before, all the threats leading to the downfall in dolphins’ numbers is mostly due to human needs. Not only for dolphins but also for various kinds of amazing animals that completes our world. This is not intentional. I think we have been doing things without understanding or knowing all the consequences that follow afterwards. As the most intelligent creatures, it’s on our shoulders to safeguard our ecosystems, our Earth. What do you say? Will you agree?