Officials prepare to release the adolescent dolphin, who became trapped in shallow waters after a hunting expedition went wrong. - Photo: FiA
PHNOM PENH: A young male dolphin – of a species that has never been officially recorded in the Kingdom before – has been rescued after effectively “beaching” itself in Koh Kong province.
The fortunate mammal was identified as a Risso’s dolphin (grampus griseus), a wide ranging ocean dolphin which is common in the Indian and Pacific oceans.
Residents in Mondul Seima district’s Peam Krasop commune spotted the adolescent dolphin, which appeared to have chased prey into shallow water and then become trapped by the receding tide.
They alerted the authorities immediately.
Officials from the Smach Meanchey Fisheries Cantonment and Peam Krasop fishing community were able to rescue the curious visitor on August 26, according to Seng Bunna, chief of the provincial Fisheries Administration (FiA).
"Residents saw it becoming trapped near their homes and reported it to fishing community officials, who asked the FiA foe support.
"It came to hunt for food, but when the water receded, it could not find way to return through the mangrove forest and got stuck in shallow water," he said, on Wednesday (Aug 28).
Bunna explained that Risso's dolphins were not present in Cambodian waters in a study that was carried out by the IUCN project in 2015.
“The 2015 IUCN study recorded 11 species of dolphins in Cambodia, including three in Koh Kong province.
"Risso’s dolphin was not found in the ocean of Koh Kong province. They were first spotted last year,” he added.
The male dolphin was 2.40 metres long and weighed about 120 kilogrammes, meaning he was effectively a curious teenager.
Full grown Risso’s dolphins can reach up to 500 kilogrammes, among the largest of all dolphins.
Their global population is estimated to exceed 200,000.
Bunna noted that the three species which were identified in Koh Kong in 2015 are all considered to be endangered, with a total population estimated at 500.
“The local fishermen have caught dolphins before, but they do not keep them.
"They believe that taking dolphins brings bad luck to them. They release them,” he said, while explaining that the new species has not yet been officially registered in the province. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
