What was a Baiji Dolphin?

You may have heard about modern mammals such as seals, Orcas, whales, and other aquatic mammals that are considered to be alive, but there are species of dolphins that can’t be found.

People aren’t sure if they are alive or if they all went extinct. One of those dolphin species is the baiji dolphin, also known as the Yangtze River dolphin. What are Baiji dolphins? And are they extinct?

The baiji dolphin’s characteristics

According to Baiji – Whale & Dolphin Conservation USA, Some characteristics baiji dolphins had were a strongly built body that was big and flippers on their body. The head was small with a round head, a long mouth shaped like a beak which was at the head. The baiji’s eyes were small and located up on top of the head than in other species of dolphin. The fin near its tail was small and with a large body shape and it was located on the dolphin’s back to the top. Baijis were mostly gray, blue, etc.

Baijis lived in pods They were very careful and weary with their surroundings.

Baijis primarily relied on their communication sounds to help them know where they are going and to catch their prey for food at their habitat. The baiji’s eyesight was not good and did not help the dolphins because when they were underwater it was hard for them to see.

The important trait the river dolphins depended on was to use their ability to find food using echolocation and to live in groups, without the dolphins’ traits they would not survive in their habitat.

Major threats to the Baiji dolphins 

However, according to Seaworld, some dolphins are endangered and nearly extinct. 

Threats to river dolphin populations include issues such as illegal fishing gear, construction, Overfishing, and other threats that could have also impacted the baiji dolphins.

 Overfishing is mostly harmful to the baijis to find food. Pollution prevents the dolphins and their prey from surviving. 

Baiji may be injured or even killed as the cause of explosions from constructions and boats. 

Baiji may also be endangered when they are caught by illegal fishing devices.

What drove Baiji dolphins to extinction may have been dangerous fishing gear that people had and issues that often occur underwater, and because the river dolphins were being hunted for food or other harmful reasons.

 The baiji dolphin’s relatives

According To Britannica, the baiji Dolphin is related to any of the toothed whales belonging to the mammal family Oceanic dolphin as well as the families river dolphin and whale family that both have dolphins. 

Of all the species of dolphins some can be whales The name dolphin is also applied to members of the fish family.

Most dolphins are small, and a similarity between them is that they have fins for swimming and they can breathe underwater for a while. 

This means that these types of dolphin groups had come from their ancestors who have similar traits from their ancestors who had passed down their genes from generations, some dolphins would have had a few common traits that were different from dolphins that exist today. 

About a month ago Ms. Alamilla had taught about organisms and how they had evolved. In the interview, Ms. Alamilla talks about how dolphins behave the same way other mammals do.

Interview #1

According to Ms.Alamilla, she said, “Dolphins are mammals. Mammals are similar to us humans. They are warm-blooded.” 

Different kinds of dolphins are all mammals and nurse, communicate, and eat the same way. They are mammals that are not entirely related to fish.

Alamilla also said, “And then aside from being mammals, they are one of the smartest animals in the world.”

Since the dolphins are mammals (similar to us) they have the related intelligence as humans.

Dolphins can communicate with other dolphins, give live birth, and nurse their babies as mammals do.

According to Alamilla, she said, “I’m not too familiar with too many species of dolphins, but the most popular dolphin that you picture or that you think about when you hear dolphins is the bottlenose dolphin.”

People commonly know bottlenose dolphins since they are dolphins that exist today. Other types of dolphins also live in other watery areas.

Interview #2

In a science class, student Stefany Hernandez learned about the dolphins’ features and behavior.

In the class, the student was also taught how most animals evolved depending on their environment.

According to Hernandez, she said, “I remember one of my teachers told me that dolphins, they hunt the predators, and they just play with the predators around to, I don’t know, scare them because that’s how they play around.” I’m like, wow, that’s pretty messed up.

This means dolphins misbehave and fool around. They also travel in groups to defend themselves from larger animals as them.

Conclusion 

Baiji dolphins were aquatic mammals that had a hard time surviving but they were also very fascinating animals which was a good thing to learn about them. Although it may not be certain if they are all extinct, the dolphins would always be remembered.