Paradip, Feb. 14: An official census of the Irrawaddy dolphins will be conducted for the first time at Gahirmatha in Bhitarkanika.

During the conservation of sea turtles, wildlife personnel have had regular sightings of the Irrawaddy dolphins. Hence, the forest department has decided to conduct a census of these mammals from February 15.

Nine teams consisting of 40 wildlife experts and the forest department officials have been formed to visit the habitation corridors and conduct the census. Each team will be equipped with binoculars, global positioning equipment, rangefinders and data recording sheets.

The officials will cover the creeks around Chinchini river mouths of the Barunei, Jatadhari and the Devi. They will also visit the creeks of Dhamra, Kajalapatia, Nalitapatia, Khola, Kalibhanjadiha, Jamboo, Kharinasi and Hukitola brackish water bodies. Besides, the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary will also come under purview, said officer of Rajnagar mangrove (wildlife) forest division Bimal Prasana Acharya.

Every year, the forest department conducts an annual headcount of estuarine crocodiles, winter migrant avian species, monsoon migrant water birds. Count is also made of the number of olive ridley turtles engaged in annual mass nesting at Gahirmatha beach.

The marine sanctuary comes under the administrative jurisdiction of the national park. The headcount of mammals such as monkeys, hyenas, jackals and fishing cats were carried out last year. However, dolphins did not figure in the list of species for annual census drive earlier.

Chilika accounted for 145 Irrawaddy dolphins.

There is every chance that there is a sizeable population of dolphins in the Bhitarkanika national park. Officials have spotted the species frequently leaping above the water surface during turtle conservation patrolling operation.<-3.000> So, it had become imperative to ascertain the population graph of these delicate aquatic animals, DFO Acharya said.

'Recently, we had been to the Pentha beach during sightseeing in the Bhitarkanika. We had spent there for about an hour-and-a-half. There we sighted around 14 dolphins jumping and diving in mid sea. It was a treat to watch,' said a tourist, Rebati Raman Das.