The Irrawaddy dolphins were spotted in the West Kalimantan, part of the Indonesian Borneo which is known for its dense tropical forests and abundant wildlife.
The Regional Office for Marine, Coastal, and Resources Management Pontianak and the WWF Indonesia discovered the rare dolphins during a study conducted in the narrow straits and coastal waters of the Kubu Raya and Kayong Utara regencies in the west of Borneo.
According to Albertus Tiju, a conservation biologist at WWF Indonesia and one of the lead authors of the study, the presence of these rare dolphins wasn’t known before so they were quite excited with their study and hope to learn more about this unique species’ distribution and population.
The researchers also came across the Indo-Pacific Humpback dolphins, which is strong scientific evidence that the Kalimantan waters boast rich biodiversity.
The Challenges of Species Conservation
The study’s results show the need for doing everything to protect the habitat of the dolphins ranging from the rivers in the Heart of Borneo to the lowe rivers of the island, including the Batu Ampar waterway mangroves and nipah forests, the narrow straits, and the coastal areas of the Kubu Raya, West Kalimantan.
Tiju notes that the ongoing rise of charcoal production in the region is a threat to the mangrove forests which are one of the primary dolphin habitats.
More than one hundred charcoal producers are now up and running in Kubu Raya. There are also additional threats to this species like the increase in boat traffic in waterways. All of these factors impede the conservation of this species.
The WFF, therefore, advises all of the companies which operate in the West Kalimantan waters to apply sustainable practices to their business and help reduce the destruction of the mangrove forests.
The Irrawaddy Dolphins
The estimated global population of these dolphins is approximately 600.
They’re found in estuaries and mangrove regions in Southeast Asia. Around 5800 of them live in the coastal waters of Bangladesh, along the Bay of Bengal.
The rest of the population is scattered throughout the southeast of Asia, as well as in Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and the northeast of Australia.
Classified by the IUCN as vulnerable, these dolphins are also critically endangered in some regions like the east of Kalimantan.
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