Much to the joy of marine fauna lovers, the enumerators, while carrying out a dolphin census at the coastal eco system of the Bhitarkanika National Park on Sunday, explored as many as six species. They have been identified as bottlenose dolphin, sousa chinensis, sousa plumbea, spotted dolphin, irrawaddy dolphin and finless porpoise, stated dolphin researcher Dr Mumtaj Khan.
Notably, as many as 31 participants and experts by constituting nine teams conducted the enumerations at the water bodies, rivers and coastline of Bhitarkanika on Sunday. As per report, not a single dolphin was found under Mahakalapada zone. About 280 dolphins of six varieties were found in the park. Irrawady dolphin was sighted at Kalibhanjadiha under Kanika forest range whereas finless porpoise and irrawady dolphin were spotted in a stretch of water from Hansua to Khola river and Hansina to Mahipura river mouth under Rajnagar forest range. In Babubali and Ekakula area the bottle nose dolphin, spotted dolphin, sousa chinensis and souse plumbea were seen.
According to official sources, irrawaddy dolphins were found in sizable numbers in coastal eco system of Bhitarkanika during the census drive. More than 50 species were spotted. This time, the forest personnel adopted direct sighting method for organizing the dolphin status survey.