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Dolphins to add flavour to backwater cruise
in Kerala Pack your bags for a cruise along the estuaries of Kochi, Ashtamudi and Munambam estuaries when the monsoon makes a retreat. The best time to watch the gentle giants is between December and April. Dolphins have been seen using all three estuaries extensively all through the year except during the monsoon. Between December and April, the sightings peaked, according to Divya Panicker, a marine mammal ecologist. The observations were part of a study “estuary use and behaviour of Humpback dolphins in Kerala, “carried out between 2012 and 2013. The habitat use, behaviour and threats to dolphins were studied through shore-based observations. Fishermen were interviewed to understand the fish catch, prey preference of dolphins and their distribution in estuaries. Twenty pods of humpback dolphins, three pods of finless porpoises and a pair of Bryde’s whale greeted the researchers during the year-long survey in the State. Dolphin pods in Ashtamudi were seen to have many calves in the group, which suggested that Ashtamudi might be a nursing ground for the animals. As little is known to the local residents about the presence of marine mammals, awareness programmes highlighting the importance of mega aquatic fauna for coastal ecosystems need to be undertaken. |
