I am from India, where River Ganga – the cultural, spiritual, and ecological symbol of India – provides habitat for the highly endangered freshwater Ganges River dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica). The Ganges River dolphin is the flagship species and indicator of the health of River Ganga, the river on which millions of people depend for their livelihood.

        I am the Principal Coordinator of Vikramshila Biodiversity Research & Education Center (VBREC) at T.M. Bhagalpur University, working for the last ten years in Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS) in India, the only designated protected area for this endangered river dolphin in Asia. The goals of VBREC are to advance the conservation prospects of river dolphins and other biodiversity, and to secure sustainable livelihood for local people depending on the aquatic and riparian resources of the Sanctuary. Since its inception in 1998, VBREC has conducted a variety of research and education programs in VGDS, which include a comprehensive assessment of dolphin populations, their habitat and the threats they face, and strengthening community outreach and awareness activities with mass meetings and street theatre performances on conserving river dolphins and protecting fishermen. As a result of our sustained conservation initiatives, the number of dolphins in VGDS has increased from 95 – 98 in 1998 to 175+ in 2008. In fact, Vikramshila Dolphin Research Project means the difference between life and death for local river dolphins and for the local fishing community. Not only that, but if we succeed in Vikramshila, this Sanctuary could act as a model for similar projects elsewhere in Asia.

        Thanks to the Fulbright Commission, I was provided with an opportunity to enhance my capabilities in the field of dolphin research and conservation by collaborating with the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program (SDRP). I spent two months (18 August – 17 October 2008) at the Chicago Zoological Society’s facilities at Mote Marine Laboratory, and participated in various projects of SDRP. I was amazed to see Jason or Aaron identifying individual bottlenose dolphins by their names in a whisper of a second during dolphin surveys. I learned to take field data, to recognize the dolphin’s activities, and to take digital pictures for photo-ID purposes in these surveys. I had my first true experience of purse seining on dolphin prey species surveys. With Katie, I learned how to observe the focal behaviors of juvenile dolphins. During my stay, a sick pygmy killer whale being treated in Mote’s Dolphin and Whale Hospital died unfortunately, and that gave me an opportunity to observe various steps performed in necropsy. I believe that I can apply newly acquired skills from the SDRP for my dolphin research program at Vikramshila Reserve in India.
       

       All the lab staff members were very nice to me right from the first day of my arrival. They work in a family atmosphere. I was impressed with their dedication to work and with their unique training methods. While leaving Mote, I am of the firm opinion that anyone, working in any part of the world on dolphins, must visit Mote Marine Lab and should participate in the SDRP projects, because SDRP opens windows for participants to become trained in the perfect manner and to become true future conservationists. Further, I hope my association with SDRP will continue in the future, and that will help our conservation efforts in India to protect the charismatic but endangered Ganges River dolphin. Remember, whatever divides us, it is the dolphin which connects us, and the Southern and Northern hemispheres, too.