Facts about Irrawaddy Dolphin
- 06
In the Irrawaddy River of Cambodia, dolphins surface to breathe approximately every 30 seconds, requiring frequent trips to the water's surface due to their relatively small lung capacity.
- 05
The Irrawaddy dolphin's diet consists almost exclusively of fish species, with studies showing they consume around 2.5 percent of their body weight daily in prey.
- 04
Rounded melon-shaped foreheads allow Irrawaddy dolphins to produce focused echolocation beams for hunting fish in Southeast Asian rivers.
- 03
Calves of the Irrawaddy dolphin stay with their mothers for up to three years, one of the longest dependency periods among cetaceans.
- 02
Irrawaddy dolphins produce echolocation clicks up to 130 decibels underwater, enabling them to navigate and hunt in the murky river environments of Southeast Asia.
- 01
Fewer than 92 Irrawaddy dolphins remain in the Mekong River, making this population one of the world's most critically endangered cetaceans.