The animals will be studied by Uerj scientists, This is the first time such a large group has been found on Rio’s beaches in the past 30 years The appearance of 500 river dolphins on Rio’s beaches intrigues researchers
Researchers from Rio de Janeiro State University (Uerj) will study the appearance of about 500 dolphins of the Guiana dolphin species (Sotalia guianensis), including adults, juveniles and calves, in Guanabara Bay and on the beaches of the city of Rio de Janeiro, January. They were seen on Wednesday (01/04) and the image captivated locals and tourists.
This is the first time such a large group has been found on Rio’s beaches in 30 years. The objective of the investigation is to know the origin of these animals and if any of them have joined the population of the Guanabara Bay.
According to José Lailson Brito, oceanographer and one of the coordinators of the Laboratory of Aquatic Mammals and Bioindicators in Uerj (Maqua), the animals probably come from the bay of Ilha Grande and traveled to the city of Rio de Janeiro in search of food.
“We believe they are dolphins from Ilha Grande Bay, because only in Ilha Grande Bay do Guiana dolphins form extremely large pods like the ones we saw here. The other thing that caught our attention is that the pod had the presence of many small, young and young, which is also very characteristic of these large groups in the bay of Ilha Grande,” explained the oceanographer.
José Lailson said the research will be conducted on the basis of photographic catalogs of river dolphins in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The photographs will be compared with images recorded on Wednesday.
“From there, we hope to start explaining who these animals are that came here and glean more information to know what they were really doing here.”
The director of the Mar Urbano Institute, marine biologist Ricardo Gomes, explains that as water conditions improve, the phenomenon can be seen more often.
“Everything indicates that with the treatment, the sanitation underway, the wastewater treatment being carried out by Águas do Rio, everything indicates that the environmental conditions here on our beaches will improve, and I hope a sighting like this is a commonplace thing in the future “.
Another feature found to be interesting in the passage of dolphins has been the appearance of females, which may help repopulate the Guanabara Bay area, with a current population of less than 30. In the 1980s, the place already had around 400 dolphins.
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Source: Terra
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
