Chinese white dolphin: description and lifestyle

In coastal waters, no more than 3 km from the coast, in shallow water, there lives a surprisingly beautiful animal - a Chinese white dolphin, belonging to the order of cetaceans.

Description

The length of the slender and strong body of this dolphin can be from 180 to 230 cm. The weight of an adult animal can reach 260 kg. In South African waters, the largest individuals are found. The ends of the wide pectoral fins are rounded. The dorsal is like a flag. Beak is narrow and long, slightly curved upwards. The forehead is slightly squashed, with a small bump. Thanks to this feature, the Chinese white dolphin was named "hunchbacked". Depending on the place of habitation, the shape of the body, as well as its color, are somewhat different. There are populations of dolphins that have a pinkish color, which is caused by translucent blood vessels through the skin.

The main food for these sea animals is eels, catfish, shellfish, and mollusks that live on the bottom. With the help of strong, with lateral outgrowths on broad roots, teeth, the dolphin easily shreds the shells of the soft-bodied.

They swim rather slowly - the average speed is an average of 4.8 kilometers per hour. Literally every 40-60 seconds, the dolphin has to float to the surface to breathe in air. The maximum time that some adults can underwater is 8 minutes, babies can not hold their breath for a long time and are forced to reappear after 3 minutes.

Habitat

The Chinese white dolphin is found mainly in the coastal waters of southern China, the Bay of Bengal, in the Indian-Malay Archipelago, off the eastern coast of Northern Australia. Small populations are found in closed seas, for example, in the Persian Gulf. Comfortable depth for dolphins of this species does not exceed 100 meters, so their distribution is limited to the coastal waters of the continental shelf. Also seen are these animals, preferring open beaches, in the mouths of rivers, lagoons of rocky reefs. The Chinese white dolphin usually lives in water, the temperature of which is 24-30 ° C.

Lifestyle

As a rule, these animals live in small groups - from 3 to 7 individuals. If necessary, they can stand up for the protection of their relatives. It is often possible to observe the interaction of dolphins with each other and with other species of animals. This happens with the help of various sounds in the form of clicks, whistles and screams.

Dolphins can jump very high out of the water. Sometimes they protrude halfway, inspecting the surrounding space. In the water they behave quite freely - floating on their sides or on their backs, a dolphin with a white belly does it with obvious pleasure.

Sometimes you can see how these animals accompany the fishing boat, trying to catch the fish escaping from the fishing nets. They are very risky at such moments themselves to get confused in the network, a similar situation threatens them with death, since dolphins need to float to the surface in order to breathe.

Reproduction and care of the offspring

Achievement of sexually mature age occurs in females at 10 years, in males two years later. The mating season continues throughout the year, but the period of active mating occurs at the end of the summer. Pregnancy lasts quite a long time - about 10-12 months. Once in 3 years the female gives birth to only one cub and does not excommunicate it from the breast until almost two years of age, despite the fact that from the age of six months the baby is able to eat the same food as a large white dolphin. Eating 30 times a day with fatty mother's milk, the dolphinata grow very quickly, adding up to 250 grams per day. During the first year of life, the baby does not separate from the mother further than 2-3 meters, constantly circling about it.

The period of childbearing in females takes about 15 years - from 5 to 20 years. The lifespan of white dolphins in natural conditions is approximately 40 years. In captivity they practically do not survive.

Dolphins and Man

Like many other cetaceans, the Chinese white dolphin is in great danger from human activities related to fishing. Fishing nets pose a serious threat to these animals. In addition, the contamination of water disturbs the environment of their habitat, which results in depletion of fish stocks. The construction of port facilities, the movement of boats along coastal waters - all this leads to a decrease in the number of these amazing animals.