Species Profile: The Irrawaddy Dolphin

Species Profile: The Irrawaddy Dolphin

The beautiful Irrawaddy Dolphin is severely threatened and is now functionally extinct in Laos. The Irrawaddy dolphin is a euryhaline species of oceanic dolphins, i.e. they can tolerate a wide range of water salinity. Though very similar to the beluga whale in appearance, Irrawaddy dolphins are most closely related to the killer whale (orca). They are characterized by a…