Nepali Dolphin - yes they exist!

Dolphins of course are associated with oceans, therefore this playful mammal would not be associated with Nepal, a landlocked country. 

However, there are dolphin species that have evolved to survive in freshwater and are found in Nepal. Around, 550,000 Ganges and Indus river dolphins diverged and became a distinct species in Nepal. 

In Hinduism, some interpret the Makara, the vehicle of Varun, as a dolphin and not a crocodile. In India, it had been called Ganga Paputaka by Emperor Ashok in the 3rd century BCE and was prohibited from being hunted or killed. 

The Malaha community in Nepal worships dolphins as the protector of their ancestor. 

Dolphins are called susu in South Asia based on the sound they produce. In Nepal, dolphins come during the monsoon season to raise their young and return down south to the deeper lower coastal waters. 

Nepal has a small population of dolphins which generally live outside the protected areas.  In 2016, there were 43 dolphins in the Karnali River and only nine in the Koshi River. In 2022,  52 river dolphins were sighted in three river networks in Nepal. 

In 2024, Dolphins were sighted in the Rapti River, which was the first time in nearly 50 years. 

As always, development threatens the Nepali dolphin’s existence. Dams block dolphins ability to swim upstream and Nepal’s fascination with hydropower continues to pose a threat to protecting the dolphin's habitat. 

Dolphins hunt in murky water. Water pollution is a key factor that has put the population at risk. As they live in murky water they are essentially blind and hunt fish and crustaceans by emitting ultrasonic sound. 

Dolphin-watching tourism can encourage communities to be conscious about life choices such as the use and disposal of fishing nets, and motor boats that produce noise and startle dolphins, depleting the population. 

There are around 3,500 Ganges River Dolphins and they are classified as endangered. 

The Baiji dolphin species is becoming extinct. The Indus River Dolphin is even rarer than the Ganges River Dolphin, as a result, it attracts even more attention. 

Dolphins are beautiful, gracious, and playful creatures. Following the species in a landlocked country would make for a fascinating documentary.