The Irrawaddy dolphin, known for its gentle demeanor, is facing the threat of extinction in Myanmar”s Irawaddy River. Fishermen in the region often strike the sides of their boats, hoping to attract these intelligent mammals, which have cooperated with humans for generations. These dolphins help guide fish into the fishermen”s nets, and in return, the fishermen allow them to take leftover fish.
A dolphin named Gotama has gained a reputation for signaling fishermen just before they cast their nets, a behavior she has taught her calf, to the delight of the local fishermen. “This phenomenon is quite unusual in terms of cooperation between humans and wildlife, making it important to conserve not only at the species level but also culturally,” said Brian Smith, a retired river dolphin expert from the Wildlife Conservation Society. “It serves as a lesson for humanity regarding our relationship with wildlife.”
Despite the friendly interactions between these fishermen and dolphins, many areas of the river are not as welcoming. Tragically, gill nets pose a significant threat, entangling dolphins and pushing them closer to extinction. Without urgent intervention, these curious and cooperative creatures may vanish forever. “If we do not control the accidental deaths of these animals in fishing nets, especially in gill nets, the species will disappear,” Smith warned. This scenario mirrors the fate of the Yangtze River dolphin, which was declared extinct in 2006, despite conservation efforts, and the vaquita porpoise in Mexico, which now has an estimated population of only about 10 individuals.
Beyond their role as fishing partners, Irrawaddy dolphins are integral to their communities, supporting the local ecotourism industry and featuring in local folklore. One legend tells of two mischievous children sent to gather firewood who ended up transforming into dolphins after eating enchanted rice and drinking from the river. The villagers now care for them, seeing them as if they were their own children, according to Danielle Kreb from the Yayasan Konservasi Rare Aquatic Species of Indonesia.
Irrawaddy dolphins also exhibit a unique behavior of spitting water, which serves a purpose beyond amusement; it helps them corral fish into tighter groups for easier capture. Some scientists speculate that this behavior may also be a display to impress potential mates.
These dolphins are one of only six species capable of living in freshwater, but they can also inhabit coastal waters, a trait shared by even fewer species. Their distribution encompasses coastal areas of Southeast Asia and three major rivers: the Mekong in Cambodia, the Mahakam in Indonesia, and the Irawaddy in Myanmar. Although classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), populations in these rivers are critically endangered, with estimates suggesting fewer than 100 individuals remain in each river.
The rivers and coastal environments where these dolphins reside are often adjacent to regions of intense human activity, facing threats such as pollution, habitat degradation due to water flow alterations from dams, coal transport by boats, and illegal electric fishing practices. These dangers not only deplete the fish populations that dolphins rely on but can also injure or kill the dolphins themselves. Kreb studied a dolphin in the Mahakam River, where only around 60 individuals are left. This dolphin, nicknamed Moose, and her newborn calf were found dead, having been poisoned by a substance intended to kill fish. “It”s a really sad case,” Kreb lamented. “It broke my heart because I felt I knew her well. She had the sweetest face in the world.”
Kreb is spearheading local conservation efforts along the Mahakam River, focusing on outreach, education, and the use of acoustic emitters to reduce dolphin mortality. These devices emit a sharp, irritating sound that disrupts echolocation, helping to keep dolphins away from dangerous fishing nets. However, careful calibration was necessary to ensure the sound was loud enough to serve as a warning without driving dolphins away from critical feeding areas. These devices are effective within a radius of about 10 meters. Since the program”s launch in 2021, Kreb”s team has distributed approximately 270 of these emitters throughout the river.
To raise awareness and funds for dolphin conservation, including the River Guard Program that hires locals to patrol the river and remove gill nets, a small team of scientists and supporters, including Smith, swam 120 kilometers along the Mekong River in March, traversing the heart of the Irrawaddy dolphin habitat. They stopped at various villages to participate in outreach events organized by WWF Cambodia, government agencies, and local officials. For Smith, conservation efforts should focus on these critical river populations while also addressing the last bastion of around 6,000 individuals in Bangladesh, primarily found in the Sundarbans, the world”s largest mangrove forest. “The greatest contribution would be a sustainable, long-term effort to provide alternative or supplemental livelihoods for current fishermen,” he stated. “And law enforcement must ensure that everyone adheres to regulations by establishing gill net-free zones in the central areas of their distribution.”
One of the significant challenges in conservation is that effective solutions are often not flashy or novel but rather involve “the same old, same old,” Smith commented. However, maintaining and reinforcing these proven efforts is precisely what is needed to protect these animals. Ultimately, the mission transcends saving species simply for their rarity or beauty; it is about safeguarding something profoundly significant for the communities living alongside them. Smith recalls a child from the Irawaddy region who worked alongside his father, fishing in partnership with the dolphins. The entire village would jokingly debate who loved the dolphins more until the child finally said, “Well, I love the dolphins more than my mother.” In the end, Smith concluded, it is not just a matter of biodiversity; it is also about “conserving what is important to people.”
