Watch: WWF team spots two large pods of dolphins in Pakistani waters

KARACHI: In a rare sight, the WWF team spotted two large pods of pantropical spotted dolphins in Pakistani waters, according to a statement issued by the nature conservation group.

“While, sailing in offshore waters southwest of Churna Island on his boat ‘Zulu’ on 20 October, Zahid Maker, Board Member WWF-Pakistan, along with his crew spotted the large pod of dolphins jumping in the waters,” said the statement.

The conservation group said that the dolphins started bow-riding as the boat neared the pod.

“Approximately 50 adult dolphins were spotted, which continued to bow-ride for more than 20 minutes before they moved away,” said the statement. It also shared that the same crew spotted the same pod in another trip, 80 nautical miles from Abdul Rahman Goth in Karachi on October 26.

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“This time, the pod was so close to the boat that the crew could touch the dolphins, which were playful and seemed fearless,” said the statement.

What is the pantropical spotted dolphin?

The WWF said that the pantropical spotted dolphin, called “tushuk” in Balochi and “gokin” in Sindhi, is found in all temperate and tropical oceans around the world.

“It is considered to be very active in making large, splashy leaps from the sea. It is believed that coastal and offshore dolphins are prone to anthropogenic factors including commercial fishing, habitat degradation, vessel traffic and other coastal development activities,” said WWF.

WWF-Pakistan stated that the coastal and off-shore waters of Pakistan are known to be rich in cetacean populations including dolphins, whales and porpoises as a total of 23 species of these majestic animals have been reported from these waters.