Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Environment; Biodiversity
In news
According to a recent report, Chinese pink dolphins/Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins are making a comeback in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE).
Key takeaways
Dolphins use echolocation to find their way in the water.
The ships often disturb them in finding their way and even kill them.
However, dolphin numbers in the waters between Hong Kong and Macau have seen a rebound in 2020 because Covid-19 pandemic has stopped ferries and hence reduced their traffic.
The number of pink dolphins in the waters has roughly increased by a third according to scientists.
Important value additions
Pearl River Estuary
It includes Hong Kong, Macau and the mainland Chinese cities of Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Dongguan.
The Pearl River Delta is the low-lying area which surrounds the PRE where the Pearl River flows into the South China Sea.
The Delta is one of the world’s most densely urbanised, heavily industrialised and busiest shipping lanes on Earth.
Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin
Scientific Name: Sousa Chinensis.
Habitat: Coastal waters of the eastern Indian and western Pacific Oceans.
The World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) has seen a decline in their numbers in the past 15 years by 70-80%.
Threats: (1) Agricultural, industrial, and urban pollution; (2) Overfishing; (3) Marine construction; (4) Transport; (5) Selling into captivity at marine entertainment parks and aquariums
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Do you know?
Echolocation is a technique used by bats, dolphins and other animals to determine the location of objects using reflected sound.
This allows the animals to move around in pitch darkness, so they can navigate, hunt, identify friends and enemies, and avoid obstacles.
