A rare Rissos dolphin was recently spotted in the water near Ormara, Balochistan, on March 25. Local fishermen intervened to save the dolphin and safely released it back into the sea. This marks a significant observation as Rissos Dolphin is one of the 26 cetacean species recorded in Pakistani waters.

Rissos dolphin is characterized by a stocky building, a blunt head and the absence of a prominent beak that is different from more commonly observed dolphin species, and is a dusty head and the absence of a prominent beak. These dolphins are widely distributed over temperate and tropical oceans, including Pakistan’s coastal water. Prefer deeper marine environments, they are typically found along the edges of continental shelves, but can occasionally venture closer to land.

Rissos dolphins can dive to depths of at least 1,000 feet and hold your breath for up to 30 minutes.

Historical items indicate limited meetings with this species in Pakistani waters. Before this event, only three cases of skeletal remains and observations were reported in the early 2000s. The first complete copy of a male Rissos dolphin was discovered stranded by Clifton Beach on March 24, 2020. Most registered observations have been from the Murray Ridge area, which is offshore between Cape Monze and Ormara.

Rissos dolphins typically travel in pods of 10 to 30 individuals, although they have also been observed alone, in pairs or in large aggregations that are numbered in hundreds or even thousands. These dolphins can reach lengths of 3 to 4.5 meters and weigh between 250 to 500 kg.

Muhammad Moazzam Khan, technical adviser (Marine Fisheries) in WWF Pakistan and President of Pakistan Whales and Dolphin Society, praised local fishermen for their fast and responsible actions to ensure Dolphin’s safe release. He emphasized that fibrating in fishing gear is a significant threat to marine mammals, including Rissos dolphins.

Since 2012, WWF-Pakistan has actively conducted capacity building programs to train fishermen in secure release of tangled megafauna, including dolphins and whales. To date, over 250 fishermen have received such training. Khan also emphasized that all whales with whales with whales that are whales and dolphins, and a guinea pig is now protected under the fishing legislation in Sindh and Balochistan, thanks to conservation efforts led by WWF Pakistan.

This recent rescue emphasizes the importance of ongoing conservation initiatives and the important role that local fisheries society plays in protecting the marine biodiversity in Pakistan’s waters.