Conservationists are out in force at Chilika Lake, where a three-day dolphin census launched today from Satpada in Odisha. With 18 teams hitting the waters, the initiative aims to gauge Irrawaddy populations in Asia’s premier brackish lagoon.
Honored as India’s first Ramsar wetland in 1981, Chilika blankets Puri, Khurda, and Ganjam districts. Its area dances with seasons – monsoon max at 1,165 sq km, summer min at 906. Tourists flock for birdwatching, angling, dolphin views, and explorations, amplifying its economic pulse.
Irrawaddy dolphins, petite and river-named, claim Chilika as their sole lagoon refuge amid Odisha’s marine diversity. Details from Assistant Warden Soumya Ranjan Sahu: trainings at Satpada and Balugaon honed skills for transect surveys – thrice-repeated boat routes yielding precise counts. Essential kits: GPS handhelds, binoculars, cameras, range tools, data templates.
Uniform departures signaled go-time; initial surveys done. Analysis awaits post-marathon. Last year’s humpback guests remind of variability.
Public advisories stress plastic bans, bin usage, and no-close approaches to dolphins. WWF’s Sadhvi Sindhura positioned it as vital health check: standardized recordings on fixed paths feed long-term insights.
Dolphin vitality signals lagoon wellness, undergirding local livelihoods in fisheries and hospitality. The census weaves wildlife guardianship with socioeconomic threads.