- Irrawaddy Dolphins Video - WCS researchers in Asia are
studying a remarkable group of river dolphins, and offer an up-
close view. - Irrawaddy Dolphin Photo - The recent discovery of
six thousand Irrawaddy dolphins in Bangladesh increased hope for
this endangered species. - ©Alice Rocco The small, beakless
Irrawaddy dolphin frequents large rivers, estuaries, and
freshwater lagoons in South and Southeast Asia. The Irrawaddy
range extends from the Bay of Bengal to the Philippines and
Papua New Guinea. Gray to dark slate blue in color, the dolphin
has a rounded head and measures up to eight feet in length.
Irrawaddy dolphins live in small groups of generally six or
fewer, but sometimes as many as 15 individuals. They subsist on
a diet of fish, and communicate with clicks, creaks, and buzzes.
In a section of Myanmar’s Irrawaddy River, the dolphins are
known to fish cooperatively with humans, herding fish schools
toward the fishermen where they are easily caught in cast nets.
The practice benefits the fishermen—i