Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin and Ashtamudi Fisher Cooperation
Why in the news
A project running until 2028 will probe the rare teamwork between dolphins and traditional fishers in Kollam.
Key facts
- Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa plumbea): coastal toothed whale, family Delphinidae; IUCN Endangered in many local populations.
- Dolphins drive fish into shallows and signal with tail slaps or rolling; fishers cast nets immediately, so both gain.
- Seen as one of the last cases of cooperative hunting between humans and wildlife.
About Ashtamudi Lake
- Second-largest estuarine system in Kerala; part of the Kollam Backwaters.
- Name means ‘eight-coned’, after its eight canal-like arms.
- Lies in Kollam district; connects through the Neendakara estuary to the Arabian Sea.
Exam angle
- Scientific name: Sousa plumbea.
- Lake name meaning: eight-coned.