The world's sweetest dolphin is facing extinction—but it's not too late

National Geographic

15-05-2025

Irrawaddy dolphins have captured hearts for generations for their adorable smirks and ability to help humans catch fish. Now it's our turn to help them. An orphaned Irrawaddy dolphin rests in the arms of its caretaker at the Marine Endangered Species Veterinary Hospital in Rayong, Thailand. Photograph By Sirachai Arunrugstichai/Getty
On Myanmar's Ayeyarwady River, fishers tap the side of their boats and wait. If they're lucky, a gray dolphin with a rounded head and smirk appears. These are Irrawaddy dolphins—social, intelligent mammals that have fished alongside humans for generations. The dolphins herd fish toward the fishers' cast nets, and in return, they snag fish trapped near the edges or stuck in the mud at the bottom for themselves.
One dolphin, named Gotama, is even known for giving a special signal—a flick of the tail—right before the fishers should cast their nets. She passed this signal on to her calf, to the delight of the fishers.
'This is a pretty rare phenomenon in the world in terms of human and wildlife cooperation. So, it's something we're not only interested in conserving on a species level, but also on a cultural level too,' says Brian Smith, a river dolphin expert and recently retired Wildlife Conservation Society researcher. 'It's a lesson to humanity about our relationship with wildlife.' Two Irrawaddy dolphins jump from the water. The dolphins are threatened by gill nets that trap fish in rivers. Photograph By Roland Seitre, Nature Picture Library
While these fishers and their cast nets generally have a friendly relationship with the dolphins, not everywhere in the river is as hospitable. Tragically, gill nets—which hang vertically and trap fish by their gills—are entangling dolphins and driving them toward extinction. Without urgent action, these cooperative, curious creatures could disappear forever.
'If we don't get a handle on the accidental killing of these animals in fishing nets,' Smith says, 'particularly gill nets, the species is finished,' much like the Yangtze river dolphin, which disappeared from China's waters in 2006, despite conservation efforts, as well as Mexico's Vaquita dolphins, down to around 10 individuals. 'They're like children'
The Irrawaddy dolphins are more than just helpful fishing companions. They are a strong part of the community, supporting the ecotourism industry for the region, as well as playing a part in local folklore.
One legend tells of two mischievous children sent to collect firewood. Lost and hungry, they find a shaman's hut. After eating enchanted rice and diving into the river for water, they transform into dolphins. When villagers find them, it's too late to reverse the spell. 'So, people kind of care for them because they feel they're like children,' says Danielle Kreb, a scientist with the nonprofit Yayasan Konservasi Rare Aquatic Species of Indonesia.
Irrawaddy dolphins also have a quirky trick—they spit water. It's not just for fun, though. They use it to herd fish into tight groups so they're easier to catch. Some scientists even think they might do it to impress a potential mate.
Irrawaddy dolphins are unique among marine mammals because they are one of only six species that can live in freshwater. But they can also inhabit coastal waters—a trait shared by even fewer species. Their range includes patches of coastal waters of South and Southeast Asia, as well as three specific rivers: the Mekong in Cambodia, the Mahakam in Indonesia, and the Ayeyarwady in Myanmar. While the species as a whole is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the populations in these three rivers are considered critically endangered, with fewer than 100 individuals estimated in each. The remains of an endangered Irrawaddy dolphin. Photograph By Sirachai Arunrugstichai
These rivers and coastal areas are often close to intense human activity, so in addition to gill nets, they face additional threats from pollution, habitat degradation from reduced or altered freshwater flows due to dams and embankments, coal-carrying ships, and illegal "electro-fishing"—a practice in which fishers send electric currents through the water to stun fish. This not only depletes the fish populations that dolphins rely on, but it can also injure or kill the dolphins themselves.
One dolphin studied by Kreb in Indonesia's Mahakam River—where only about 60 individuals remain—was nicknamed Moose. Moose and her newborn calf, just minutes old, were both found dead. Testing later revealed they had been poisoned, likely by a pellet meant to kill fish. 'It's a really sad, sad case,' says Kreb. 'And it broke my heart because I felt I knew her very well. She had the sweetest face ever.' Committing to conservation
Kreb is leading local conservation efforts along the Mahakam River, focusing on outreach, education, and the use of acoustic pingers to reduce dolphin deaths. These small devices emit a high-pitched, irritating sound that deters dolphins by disrupting their echolocation, keeping them away from dangerous fishing nets. But the design required careful calibration, Kreb explains: The sound had to be strong enough to act as a warning, but not so intense that it drove dolphins away from critical feeding areas. These pingers are effective at a range of about 10 meters, she says. Since launching the program in 2021, her team has distributed around 270 of them across the river.
To raise awareness and funds for dolphin conservation—including the River Guard Program, where local people are hired to patrol the river and remove the gill nets from the waters—a small team of scientists and supporters, including Smith, swam 120 kilometers along the Mekong River in March, through the heart of Irrawaddy dolphin habitat. They stopped in villages to join outreach events organized by WWF Cambodia, government agencies, and local officials. A caretaker calms an orphaned Irrawaddy river dolphin at the Marine Endangered Species Veterinary Hospital in Rayong, Thailand. When the dolphin's ready, it will be released to join its wild pod. Photograph By Sirachai Arunrugstichai/Getty
For Smith, conservation efforts need to focus on these small critical river populations, but also the last remaining stronghold of about 6,000 individuals in Bangladesh. He was part of the team that discovered this population in 2009, found mostly in the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest. 'The biggest contribution that could be made would be a long-term, sustainable effort to provide alternative livelihoods or supplementary livelihoods to the current fishers,' he says. 'And you have to have enforcement to make sure everybody's playing by the rules, establishing gill-net-free zones in the core areas of their distribution.'
One of the great challenges in conservation is that often, what works isn't flashy or new—it's the 'same old, same old,' says Smith. But sustaining and strengthening those proven efforts is exactly what's needed to protect these animals.
And this isn't just about saving species because they're rare or beautiful. It's about protecting something deeply meaningful to the communities who live alongside them, he adds. Smith remembers a young boy in the Irrawaddy region who worked with his father, cooperatively fishing with the dolphins. The whole village would playfully argue about who loved the dolphins most, until the boy finally said, 'Well, I love the dolphins more than I love my mother.'
In the end, says Smith, this isn't just a biodiversity issue; it's also about 'conserving what's important to people.'