Chinese River Dolphin (Baiji)

Chinese River Dolphin or Baiji Dolphin (Lipotes vexillifer)

The Chinese River Dolphin is often referred to as the Baiji. They have a very unique look with a nose that is long, thin, and curves upward at the end of it. They have skin that is light gray and even bluish. The underside of them is white. They also have a lower fin that is triangular in shape.

The males can weight up to 500 pounds and the females are a bit less than that. The males are about 8 feet in length with the females being about 6 feet. They have a common enough face to other types of dolphins which make them appear friendly and approachable.

Anatomy

These dolphins are very thin and they have a body that is well designed for getting around in the water with ease. They are able to easily navigate through the water at a very fast speed. They don’t seem to be as acrobatic as other species of dolphins though. They are deemed as being highly intelligent with the ability to problem solve and to adapt to changes around them.

The have very poor eyesight and many experts even categorize them as being blind. They depend in their sonar ability to pick up vibrations though in order to successfully find prey and to avoid dangers.

Evolution

There are remains to verify that dolphins have been on Earth for more than 25 million years. However, the Chinese River Dolphin is believed to have evolved about 5 million years ago. It isn’t fully understand why this occurred, but you will find plenty of legends about it in the Chinese culture.

Behavior

These are very social dolphins and they are believed to live in pods that can have up to 16 members. Since we don’t have access to them anymore there isn’t much we can learn about them. The early sightings of them though do indicate that they use vocalization such as clicking and whistling to communicate with each other.

Habitat/Distribution

If they do still exist these dolphins live in the Yangtze River in China. They are only able to live in bodies of fresh water. The fact that they haven’t been seen in a very long time is cause for many experts to feel they are completely gone. Yet that was thought in the 1950’s and again in the 1980’s then later on confirmed sightings of them occurred.

They are very mysterious dolphins and they aren’t out in the open as many other species which is why it is so very difficult to know for sure. There are just as many experts that believe the Chinese River Dolphins still do exist out there and that they are just in very limited numbers. Only time will tell though if they are still here or merely a part of history. The fact that this area of water is highly polluted though is a grime reminder of how human actions can cause serious problems for animal live.

Diet/Feeding Habits

Just like all other types of dolphins, the Chinese River Dolphin relies upon echolation for them to be able to find prey. This type of vibration allows them to pick up both the distance and direction of their prey. They feed on many different types of fish. They swallow their food whole even though they do have teeth that they can chew with. This is why they prefer to feed on small and medium sized fish rather than larger ones.

When this type of food isn’t easily found they can consume squid, eels, and various types of crustaceans. It isn’t known how much food an adult Chinese River Dolphin would need to eat each day.

Reproduction

Since we really don’t know where these dolphins are if they still exist, it is impossible to learn about their reproductive habits. It is believed that the females are pregnant for a period of time that ranges from 6 months to 12 months. It is also believed that they are very good caregivers based on the fact that other dolphin species are.

Since they are mammals they give a life birth to their offspring. It isn’t known how long the young nurse from the milk of the mother. It also isn’t known if these dolphins remain in the same pod their entire lives or move on at the age of maturity. It is estimated that they would be mature about 10 years of age for the males and 7 years of age for the females. However, that isn’t confirmed.

We don’t know about their courting process or how often the females give birth. All of it is speculation based upon what we know about other species of dolphins. The males likely call out to the females in order to attract them. There is a good chance that we will only be able to speculate about the specifics of the mating process for the Chinese River Dolphins though.

Predators

Due to the fact these dolphins live in fresh water they don’t have as many problems with Killer Whales and sharks. Yet there are some species of sharks that do live in fresh water so that can be a problem for them.

The biggest issue though is that they are sharing these same waters with humans. Many of them have been killed due to collisions with boats. Getting tangled in fishing nets as well as pollution of the water have created serious problems for them.

The number of Chinese River Dolphins remaining has continued to drop due to amount of commercialized fishing in the area. By eliminating the dolphins there are more fish to be gained from the waters and that results in more profits. There are very few of them remaining and most believe that there is little that can be done to save them at this point.

Some will even argue that they are already gone, due to the fact that they are rarely seen. There have been reports from the last several years about them but not fully confirmed since 2004. According toe the Guinness Book of World Records, this is the most endangered type of aquatic life in the world.

Extensive studies were conducted in 2007 after there were reports of the Chinese River Dolphin pods in the area. However, after a six week search and a great deal of money spent they weren’t able to confirm or deny those reported sightings. One of the biggest problems is that the Chinese government hasn’t been interested in protecting them.

In fact, many groups have pressed the issue with the country sense the 1950’s. Even getting authority to go to China and to do the studies to look for the Chinese River Dolphin involves a great deal of red tape. Many are angered that this country wasn’t forced into doing more to preserve the natural habitat of these animals long ago.

Another issue is that China wouldn’t allow other countries to capture them for placement into captivity. That would have allowed us to observe them as well as try to get their numbers up with successful breeding programs. These facts show us that so much more still has to be done in order to offer the help that many types of animals need so that they don’t face the threat of extinction.

The Yangtze River dolphin, commonly known as the Chinese River dolphin or the Baiji dolphin, is at the brink of extinction.

In 1975, the Chinese government declared the Baiji a national treasure, and began to offer conservation and protection to the species, however, this has done little good, as the dolphin is still endangered by heavy boat traffic, fishing, industrial development, and the construction of the world's largest dam.

The Yangtze River, where the Chinese River dolphin makes it's home is one of the world's busiest rivers in the most populated country on the planet. The Chinese River dolphin grows to be between four and eight feet, and can weigh up to 360 pounds.