Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has 10 species of marine and six species of freshwater dolphins. Of the four marine species, two are critically endangered, and two are data deficient (status could not be evaluated due to paucity of data); the only freshwater species, Platanista gangetica, is endangered.

Environment and forest ministry of Bangladesh declared 31 K.M. long channels of the Sundarbans as a safety zone for the six species of dolphins, one species of porpoise, and three species of whales. Including the Irrawaddy Dolphin, the other species are Indo-Pacific Hump-backed Dolphin, Pantropical Spotted Dolphin, Spinner Dolphin, Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin, Ganges River Dolphin and Indian Ocean Finless Porpoise. In this Mangrove forest’s river, two species of Bryde’s and Sperm Whale also found. Fin Whale is already extinct from the Bay of Bengal. In the Cetacea order, 10 species of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises (Cetaceans) are found in Bangladesh.

Irrawaddy Dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) is the critically endangered species throughout the world. Though IUCN red list classifies the species as Data Deficient, it declines in range and abundance of demographically isolated population in Malampya Sound, Sonkhla Lake and Ayeyarewady, Mahakam and Mekong rivers are listed separately critically endangered.

This species exists in the Bay of Bengal and in the Swatch of no ground, the rivers of the Sunderbans of Bangladesh part. The total population of this species in this area is 5400. Moreover, 40 Indo-Pacific Hump-backed Dolphins also were found in the 13 spot of this area. 1382 Indian Ocean Finless Porpoises, 1000 Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins were found in the 14 spot near 11 miles of the Sunderbans. 800 Pantropical Spotted Dolphin were found in the 8 spots of the beach of the Sunderbans and 225 Ganges River Dolphins were found in the 13 spots of the Sunderbans. 50 Bryde’s Whales also were found in this area. This research report was published in June 2009.

আরো পড়ুন:  Asian elephant is a critically endangered mammals in Bangladesh.

Indo-Pacific Hump-backed Dolphin, Locally called Golapi Dolphin (গোলাপী ডলফিন) or Sousa chinensis, is a critically endangered species in the earth.  

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