Mammals Active day and night

Irrawaddy Dolphin

Orcaella brevirostris

iNaturalist Wikipedia

The Irrawaddy dolphin is a gentle, blunt-nosed marvel of Asia's coastal and river waters. Famed for its cooperative fishing with local villagers and its unique 'smiling' face, this endangered mammal is a vital indicator of healthy aquatic ecosystems.

0 Sightings

0 Habitats

Quick Identification

straighten

Size

Length: 2–2.75 m (6.6–9 ft); Weight: 90–200 kg (200–440 lb)

palette

Colors

Slate gray to slate blue body with a lighter grayish-white underside; no distinct stripes or spots

visibility

Key Features

Rounded, blunt forehead with no protruding beak
Small, triangular dorsal fin with a rounded tip located behind the mid-body
Flexible neck capable of turning the head independently
Broad, paddle-like flippers

When You’ll See Them

schedule

Activity pattern Active day and night

brightness_5

Peak hours 6-9 AM, 4-7 PM

calendar_month

Season Year-round; sightings in rivers peak during the dry season (December–April) when water levels are lower

restaurant

Diet A generalist predator eating various bony fish, crustaceans like shrimp, and cephalopods such as squid.

park

Habitat Shallow coastal waters, brackish estuaries, and deep pools within large tropical freshwater rivers.

public Geographic range

Where Does the Irrawaddy Dolphin Live?

Native to the coastal and riverine regions of South and Southeast Asia, the Irrawaddy dolphin is found in fragmented populations from the Bay of Bengal to the Philippine islands. Its core range includes the major river systems of Myanmar, Cambodia, and Indonesia, as well as unique lagoon environments like Chilika Lake in India and Songkhla Lake in Thailand. Because they are euryhaline, they thrive in the transition zones where rivers meet the sea, though they never venture far from the shoreline into deep oceanic waters.

Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors

10 Countries

1.1M km² Range

Endangered Conservation

IN India Bangladesh Myanmar TH Thailand Cambodia Laos ID Indonesia MY Malaysia PH Philippines Vietnam

eco

iNaturalist / Verified observation data

View on iNaturalist open_in_new

Explore more Mammals arrow_forward

Behavior

Irrawaddy dolphins are known for their shy, cautious nature, often avoiding boats and rarely engaging in the acrobatic leaping or bow-riding common in other dolphin species. They are slow swimmers that surface in a rolling motion, typically lifting only the top of their head and back out of the water. One of their most unique physical traits is a flexible neck, which allows them to turn their heads—a rare feature among cetaceans that helps them navigate the complex, often murky environments of tropical rivers and mangroves.

Socially, they are usually found in small pods of 2 to 6 individuals, though larger congregations may form where food is abundant. They are famous for their remarkable cooperative fishing behavior with local humans in the Ayeyarwady and Mekong rivers. The dolphins herd schools of fish toward the fishers' nets and signal with splashes when it is time to cast; in exchange, the dolphins feast on the fish that scatter from the nets. They are also known to spit spurts of water from their mouths, which is believed to help them herd fish or clear silt.

photo_camera EverydayEarth exclusive

Camera Tips

Capturing the Irrawaddy dolphin on a trail camera requires a specialized setup focused on riverbanks or coastal overlooks. If you have a property facing a known habitat, mount your camera on a high vantage point like a pier, jetty, or a sturdy tree overhanging the water. The ideal height is 3 to 5 meters above the high-tide line to prevent salt spray from clouding the lens while providing a wide field of view. Angle the camera downward at a 20-30 degree angle to capture the water's surface where they break to breathe.

Use a camera with a very fast trigger speed (0.2 seconds or less) and set it to 'Burst Mode' or 'High-Speed Video.' Irrawaddy dolphins surface quickly and subtly; they don't jump high out of the water, so you need multiple frames to catch the characteristic rounded forehead or small dorsal fin. If your camera supports it, a polarizing filter is a game-changer for reducing sun glare on the water, allowing the camera to see 'through' the surface to capture the dolphin's silhouette.

While you cannot use bait in the traditional sense, focus your camera placement on 'bottleneck' areas like the mouth of a mangrove creek or deep pools in a river channel where fish congregate during low tide. In river settings, the dry season is the best time for monitoring, as the receding water concentrates the population into predictable deep-water zones. For nighttime monitoring, ensure your camera uses 'No-Glow' Infrared (black LEDs) to avoid startling these shy animals, although their activity is most easily documented during the daylight hours when the water surface is visible.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Irrawaddy Dolphin.

Australian Snubfin Dolphin

Found only in northern Australia and New Guinea; they look nearly identical but have subtle genetic and skeletal differences.

Browse all Mammals arrow_forward

Frequently Asked Questions

They are active throughout the day and night, but they are most frequently spotted in the early morning and late afternoon. These times often coincide with tidal changes and lower human boat activity, making the dolphins feel more comfortable surfacing.

You cannot attract them with food like land animals. If you live on a river or coast where they reside, the best way to encourage their presence is by protecting the shoreline, reducing water pollution, and ensuring the local fish population remains healthy by avoiding overfishing.

Their diet is diverse, consisting mainly of small bony fish, shrimp, and squid. They often hunt near the bottom of rivers or estuaries, sometimes using a unique water-spitting behavior to flush out prey.

Generally no. They are highly specialized and endangered, found only in specific tropical river systems and coastal lagoons in Asia. They rarely overlap with heavily urbanized areas due to pollution and high boat traffic.

The easiest way is to look for the dorsal fin. Irrawaddy dolphins have a small but clearly visible triangular dorsal fin on their back, whereas Finless porpoises have no fin at all, only a slight ridge.

Record Irrawaddy Dolphin at your habitat

Connect a camera to start building your own species record — AI identifies every visitor automatically.

Join free Identify a photo