What is Indian aquatic animal?

The Ministry of Environment and Forests notified the Ganges River Dolphin as the National Aquatic Animal.

National Aquatic Animal Of India- Ganges River Dolphin

Table of Contents

National Aquatic Animal Of India- Ganges River Dolphins

The Ganges River Dolphins (Platanista Gangetica) was officially discovered in 1801. The original stretches where the National Aquatic Animal of India are found:

Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna River Systems and
Karnaphuli-Sangu River Systems; of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh

Why is the Ganges Dolphin the National Aquatic Animal of India?

The reason to declare Ganges River Dolphin as the National Aquatic Animal of India was to save it from extinction. Also, the Ganges Dolphin is seen as the reflector of the health of the Ganga River. The declaration was made in 2009 in the National Ganga River Basin Authority’s (NGRBA) first meeting.

Facts about the National Aquatic Animal Of India Ganges River Dolphin

There are quite a few important and interesting facts about the Ganges River Dolphin. The table below mentions the relevant facts about the National Aquatic Animal of India:

Interesting Facts about National Aquatic Animal of India – Ganges River Dolphin

Ganges River Dolphin is found only in freshwater

As the name goes, the Ganges Dolphin are endemic to the river Ganga

They are at the apex of the aquatic food chain

Ganges River Dolphin along with Indus River Dolphin is the sub-species of South Asian River Dolphin.

It is the official animal of the Assam’s capital Guwahati

There are also called Susu, Shushak, Side Swimming Dolphin & Blind Dolphin

Because of the sound, they make in the forms of whistles, these species of South Asian River Dolphin are also called Susu

It cannot breathe in the water, it being a mammal. It surfaces above the water every 30-40 seconds to breathe

Deep pools, eddy counter-currents located downstream of the convergence of rivers and of sharp meanders, and upstream and downstream of mid-channel islands are favoured by the Ganges River Dolphins

There is a Ganges Dolphin Sanctuary called Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary in Bihar. Locals of Bihar called Gangetic Dolphin as ‘Soons’

They use the way of ‘Echolocation’ to trap their prey

In the mythology of India, Dolphin is considered as the vehicle of Goddess Ganga

The population of Ganges River Dolphin is less than 1800, as quoted by WWF-India

The babies of Dolphins are called calves, and they are chocolate brownish when they are born and gradually the colour changes to grey

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has given the status of ‘Endangered’ to the Ganges River Dolphin

The species is included in the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 – Schedule I. It makes it prohibited to be hunted throughout India, except under threat to human life

Trade of Ganges Dolphin is prohibited

World Wide Fund for Nature – WWF-India also had started the Dolphin Conservation Programme to conserve the habitat of the Ganges river dolphin and secure a future for the endangered species. The stretches chosen by WWF-India are:

Upper Ganga River (Brijghat to Narora) in the state of Uttar Pradesh (Proposed Ramsar Site)
Chambal River (up to 10 km downstream of Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary) in the state of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh
Ghagra and Gandak River, in the state of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar
Ganga River, from Varanasi to Patna in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar respectively
Son and Kosi River in Bihar
Brahmaputra River from Sadia (foothills of Arunachal Pradesh) up to the Dhubri (Bangladesh Border)
Kulsi River a tributary of Brahmaputra.

WWF-India in collaboration with Uttar Pradesh Forest Department started the Annual Gangetic River Dolphin Survey in October 2019.

The method used for the survey was the Tandem Boat Method.
The survey was conducted alongside a 250 km stretch of the Ganga river between the Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary and Narora Ramsar site.

Dolphins are considered to be one of the most intelligent species

Threats to Gangetic Dolphin:

Water Development Projects
Toxicity of rivers
Killing of them for their oil, by the local inhabitants around the river
Accidental killings when the Gangetic Dolphins are trapped in fishermen gear

A stunning aquatic creature, the Ganges River Dolphin weighs between 100 and 150 kg at maturity. Typically, female dolphins are larger than male dolphins. They navigate the river blindly using ultrasonic vibrations to locate their prey. The ultrasonic frequencies, however, allow the dolphins to see the things clearly.

Due to their preference for freshwater habitats, dolphins thrive best in the confluence of two or more rivers. These dolphins are special in that they can’t breed in captivity and require access to open waters in order to reproduce. The prevalent consensus is that when there are more dolphins, waterways are clean and healthy.

The fact that these animals can’t breathe underwater and must surface every 30 to 40 seconds to collect their breath is yet another intriguing aspect of them. This explains why dolphins frequently emerge from rivers and oceans.

They often remain alone or in tiny groups, thus it is uncommon to encounter them in large groups. Baby dolphins typically spend a lot of time with their moms. The dolphins have an odd way of reproducing since every time they give birth, just one youngster is born. These creatures typically only reproduce once every two to three years.