Gangetic dolphin

About Gangetic dolphin

• Common Name: Susu
• Scientific Name: Platanista gangetica gangetica.
• Population: Less than 1800 (1200 to 1800).
• Habitat: Ganges river dolphins once lived in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.
• Some characteristics:
  • The Ganges river dolphin can only live in freshwater.
  • It is essentially blind and they hunt by emitting ultrasonic sounds.
  • It has a sturdy, yet flexible, body with large flippers and a low triangular dorsal fin.
  • Calves are chocolate brown at birth and then have grey-brown smooth, hairless skin as adults.
  • Females are larger than males and give birth once every two to three years to only one calf.
• Conservation status:
  • IUCN: Endangered
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act: Schedule-I 
  • CITES: Appendix I

Government's conservation efforts

• In 2009, Gangetic dolphins were declared the national aquatic animal of India.
• The Prime Minister announced ‘Project Gangetic Dolphin’ on August 15, 2023 for the conservation of the Gangetic dolphins.

Q1) What is Ultrasonics?

Ultrasonics, vibrations of frequencies greater than the upper limit of the audible range for humans—that is, greater than about 20 kilohertz. The term sonic is applied to ultrasound waves of very high amplitudes.

Source: A fisherman in Odisha’s Balasore district captured a rare and endangered Gangetic dolphin.