Bottlenose dolphin found dead near Paradip

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 A 5.5-feet-long dead bottlenose dolphin was found washed ashore at the Jatadhari beach in the Bay of Bengal near Paradip on Sunday, said Kujnaga Forest Ranger Soubhagya Sahu.

The dolphin, whose species is commonly found in the Bay of Bengal, might have died three to four days back after being entangled with a trawler net in the deep sea, said the forest officer.

Besides bottleneck dolphins, the other species found in the Bay of Bengal are the spinner dolphins, Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins, common dolphins and Irrawaddy dolphins. Humpback and bottlenose dolphins are now found in the Mahanadi river mouth, Gahiramatha Marine Sanctuary, Jatadhari river mouth and other areas.

According to Sahu, about 300 bottlenose dolphins and 200 humpback dolphins are inhabiting at the Gahirmatha Sanctuary in the Bay of Bengal. Similarly, nearly 30 to 40 Irrawady dolphins are in the waters of the Gahirmatha Sanctuary whereas 158 Irrawady dolphins are in the Chilika lake.

Dolphin species are protected under the Schedule I of Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act and declared an endangered species under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), added the forest officer.