KENDRAPARA: THE number of dolphins has marginally increased this year. It was revealed during the annual reptile census in the water bodies of Gahirmatha marine sanctuary and its nearby water bodies within Bhitarkanika National Park of Kendrapara district. The forest officials counted 307 dolphins recently whereas during the last census three years back they had sighted 270 dolphins.
“During the one-day dolphin census on January 19, we sighted 45 Irrawaddy, 92 Bottlenose, 108 Sousa Chinensis and 62 Sousa Plumbera dolphins. Officially, the census report was released recently,” said Bimal Prasan Acharya, the Divisional Forest Officer of Bhitarkanika National Park.
“The forest officials conducted dolphin census for the first time in Gahirmatha in 2015. It is for the fourth time that the State Forest department counted dolphin in Gahirmatha to know the number of the aquatic animal. In 2016 and 2017, the Forest department had cancelled the census of dolphins due to bad weather. In 2015, we had counted 270 dolphins in the water bodies of Gahirmatha marine sanctuary during the first ever dolphin census. Three years back, we had sighted 58 Irrawaddy, 23 Bottlenose, 123 Sousa Chinensis, 50 Sousa Plumbera, 15 pan tropical spotted dolphins and one Finless porpoise. We formed nine teams to conduct dolphin census,” added the forest officer.
The 2018 dolphin census report also revealed that Gahirmatha is home to the State’s largest population of dolphin as the census report also reflected that the Chilika lake is home to only 162 Irrawaddy dolphins. More dolphins were found in Gahirmatha due to its bigger areas, the forest officer added.
Gahirmatha was declared a marine sanctuary in 1997 by the State Government to protect the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles as Gaharmatha beach is the world’s largest rookery of sea turtles. The State Government each year imposes a ban on fishing activities inside Gahirmatha from November 1 to May 31 to protect turtles. The seven-month fishing ban each year also helps in the rising number of the population of dolphin in Gahirmatha. The dolphins are a commonly sighted diving creatures in the water bodies in Khola, Nalitapata, Dhamara and in the sea near Satabhaya, Pentha, Agaranashi, Eakakula , Hukitola and other areas within the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary”, the forest officer said.