Bhubaneswar (Odisha): The conservation efforts for dolphins have got a shot in the arm in Odisha as their number has more than doubled this year.
The number of dolphins, especially the Humpback and Bottlenose species, has seen a sharp rise. As per the 2021 census, the state has as many as 544 dolphins compared to only 233 dolphins last year. Suitable weather and environment are held as the main reasons behind this development.
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Dolphins of various species have been identified in the divisions of Chilika, Rajnagar, Puri, Bhadrak and Baleshwar. There are 188 dolphins in Chilika lake, 342 in Rajnagar, four in Puri, eight in Bhadrak and two in Baleshwar forest.
As per the 2020 census, only two Humpback dolphins were identified in the state, which has increased 14-fold this year. The number of Bottlenose dolphins in the state has more than doubled. Last year there were 23 dolphins of this species in Odisha. This year, their number has risen to 56. Last year, there were 208 Irrawaddy dolphins in the state compared to 209 this year.
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The census was scheduled to be conducted on January 18 in all parts of the state, but due to inclement weather and dense fog, it could be carried out only in Bhadrak division. Later, the dolphins were counted on January 27, February 5 and February 12. As many as 41 teams took part in the counting.
