WWF Spot 18 Rare Dolphins in Borneo

WWF charity officials were over the moon to discover 18 critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphins in Indonesian waters off the island of Borneo. The Irrawaddy dolphin has no beak and a snub dorsal fin, but looks very similar to the common bottlenose breed. The siting has seen the conservation group call for greater protection of the species’ habitat, as at the moment there are no comprehensive surveys available to measure its global population.

The WWF research team surveyed 260 kilometres of West Kalimantan, on Indonesia’s half of Borneo island, over 5 days and spotted the species travelling together in small groups. This proves that the dolphins’ habitat is still intact, but will require local cooperation if this is to remain so. Many marine species can often die entangled in nets, so local fishermen will need to be aware of the danger they may put the Irrawaddy dolphin in.

WWF conservation biologist, Albertus Tjiu, said –

In the past, locals and fishermen reported seeing the dolphins, but we have never recorded them until now. We call on all businesses operating in the area to act sustainably to conserve the mangroves as we expect to discover more dolphins when we finish the study.

Irrawaddy dolphins have been recorded before in the –

• Mekong River in Cambodia
• Ayeyawardi River in Myanmar
• Mahakam River of East Kalimantan

so these siting in West Kilimantan are great news. Indonesia is already home to some of the most biodiverse forest and marine ecosystems on the planet, but land conversion for paper and palm oil plantations threaten these areas., among others. Let’s hope WWF can manage to sustain this area for many years to come.