Post News Network
Kendrapara, Feb 13: The forest personnel of Bhitarkanika National Park will conduct a dolphin status survey from Dhamra to Devi mouth on the Orissa coast from February 15.
Divisional Forest Officer of Rajnagar mangrove (forest) and wildlife division Bimal Prasanna Acharya said for the first time the dolphin census drive
will be carried out in Bhitarkanika National Park.
The DFO said five types of dolphin species are found in the rivers and shorelines under the Bhitarkanika National Park. Irrawaddy dolphin, bottle-nose dolphin, Gangetic dolphin, Humpback dolphin and Finless porpoise have earlier been sighted in the coastal ecosystem of the national park.
Apart from these species, other dolphin species like Risso’s dolphin and Spinner dolphin also reported in the Orissa coast.
Acharya said towards the north of the Kalibhanjadiha creek, there is a confluence point of Brahmani and Baitarani rivers and Materi nullah, known as Nalitapatia, which holds a sizeable population of the Irrawaddy dolphins.
Its enumeration and documentation would go a long way in preparing a conservation plan for this endangered species at Bhitarkanika, the DFO said.
As many as 12 species of dolphins were sighted along the Orissa coast and the census will try to get first hand
information of the pockets of their
habitats in the coastal zones as well as in marine waters.
Acharya said nine teams have been formed to carry out the enumeration drive. The census, he said, would also help provide basic information about the migrating behaviour of Irrawaddy
dolphins as well as other species.