CHENNAI: Next time you plan a visit to Thoothukudi or Ramanathapuram, you can go on a boat ride and spend time with dolphins. In a first in Tamil Nadu, the state government has proposed to conduct a dolphin safari in the biodiversity-rich Gulf of Mannar (GoM) Biosphere Reserve as part of conservation efforts to save cetac and under ‘Project Dolphin’.
After recent incidents of dolphins getting stranded along the GoM coast, the conservation of dolphins, protected under Schedule 1 of Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, and their habitat was proposed at a cost of Rs 8 crore. Environment Secretary Supriya Sahu, who issued a G.O. on Project Dolphin, said there are components in the project that promote eco-tourism and allow people to enjoy the rich marine life and understand their role in ecological balance.
The biosphere reserve has 21 islands of which many are experiencing erosion due to the rise in sea level and climate change. “We lost two islands already and the size of Vaan Island got reduced from 20.08 hectares in 1969, as per the Survey of India toposheet, to 1.53 hectares in 2015.
The government has restored the island and now measures over 5 hectares and the shallow waters near the island are teeming with marine life and coral reefs. We will also explore the possibility of organising safaris to Vaan,” she said. Bakan Jagdish Sudhakar, wildlife warden and director of GoM Biosphere Reserve, said boat rides are available to tourists to Krusadai Island where dolphins are sighted.
Coral and seagrass restoration to improve dolphin habitat
“Under the project, we will buy specialised boats and equipment to spend more time near dolphin-rich sites. Vaan Island can be a good site to explore, but we may have to amend the management plan for it and seek approval from the Union environment ministry.”
“Being the first area to be declared as a marine national park, the islands in the Gulf of Mannar have about 117 species of corals and endangered species such as dugongs and Olive Ridleys and dolphins and porpoises,” the officer said. Last year, seven dolphins were rescued alive and released, he said.
There were also instances of dolphin carcasses washing ashore after getting hit by boat propellers. As per the G.O., dolphin habitat will be improved through coral and seagrass restoration. Ghost net removal, dolphin scholarship programme, dolphin estimation study, the establishment of marine mammal stranding and conservation network for rescue and rehabilitation of entangled dolphins and other marine megafauna are the other components of the plan. The ambitious project comes on the heels of the Dugong Conservation Project.
G.O. issued for `8-cr project
After recent incidents of dolphins getting stranded along the GoM coast, the conservation of the mammals, protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, and their habitat was proposed at a cost of Rs 8 crore