Dolphin Awareness Week 2024

Dolphin Awareness Month, held each March, to raise and spread awareness about these amazing marine creatures – and the merciless killing of them. Dolphins are variously described as the smartest marine animal, and human’s best friends in the sea with a long history of being friendly with human beings. This friendliness has come in. the form of ‘dolphin therapy’ in places such as Monkey Mia here in Australia; and protecting humans from other sea-based creatures that have been threatened by humans.

However, it is the friendly and trusting nature of dolphins that has led to the demise of many and the mass endangerment of the species. Every year, thousands of dolphins are reportedly killed, either for their meat or their blubber, which are sold on the black market. Water pollution is another factor causing dolphin numbers to drop.

Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the brackish dolphins), and possibly extinct Lipotidae (baiji or Chinese river dolphin). There are 40 extant species named as dolphins.

Dolphins – and larger whales – face an uncertain future as they face an unprecedented number of threats, according to the group Dolphin Research Australia . These include fisheries bycatch (including in fishing gear including drift nets; overfishing; pollution (chemical and debris/litter); climate change; boat strikes; noise pollution (includes vessels, LFA & MFA Navy Sonar); habitat loss & degradation (e.g. through urban development); Whaling & hunting – this so often is not reported for commercial reasons. tourism activities (includes vessel-based whale & dolphin watching)

Sources:

Encyclopedia of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises by Erich Hoyt; Wikipedia