‘Extremely unusual’ group of dolphins spotted off the coast of Cambodia, photo shows
During a routine wildlife survey off the coast of Cambodia, scientists were excited to find a baby dolphin — then came “a twist.”
Researchers spotted the “extremely unusual” pod of dolphins off Preaek Tnaot, Marine Conservation Cambodia said in a May 30 Facebook post. The group included several adults of one species and a baby of another.
The pinkish-white adult dolphins were identified as Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, the group said. But the gray-brown calf was identified as an Irrawaddy dolphin.
These two species are known to overlap and “can sometimes be found in mixed groups,” the organization said. But most of these interactions occur “due to foraging in the same area, not actively seeking one another out.”
Cambodia’s Ministry of Information shared a photo of the dolphins in a May 31 news release.
“It is a bit of a mystery,” Becky Chambers, a scientist with Marine Conservation Cambodia, told LiveScience in a June 11 article.
Researchers suggested two possible explanations for the mixed pod. The sighting could be an example of alloparenting, or a baby receiving care from an animal that is not its parent, the group said. Or the sighting could be an example of “aggressive or sexually aggressive” behavior where Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins took the baby from its mother.
The baby Irrawaddy dolphin “has been seen several times, suggesting it is allowed access to the mother to feed,” the organization said.
Researchers plan to continue monitoring the area in hopes of seeing the “unusual” pod again and learning more about its behavior.
Both Irrawaddy dolphins, scientifically known as Orcaella brevirostris, and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, scientifically known as Sousa chinensis, are threatened species, according to the International Whaling Commission. They typically live near the shore in small groups and have a varied diet.
The species are identified by their body shape, fins and color patterns.
Preaek Tnaot is a coastal village in southwestern Cambodia along the Gulf of Thailand. Cambodia is a country in southeastern Asia bordering Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
Google Translate was used to translate the news release from Cambodia’s Ministry of Information.
This story was originally published June 13, 2024 at 5:38 AM with the headline "‘Extremely unusual’ group of dolphins spotted off the coast of Cambodia, photo shows."
