Respectful dolphin watching in India: Experience the marine mammals in the wild
Today I share with you one of my highlights: My first encounter with lead-colored dolphins - also called Sousa plumbea. Together with Puja, environmental educator and founder of Terra Conscious, I'm cruising along the Indian coast of Goa today. Her mission is to show us the dolphins in the free and untouched wild without restricting their freedom. On the boat tour she tells us more about the ecosystem and the dolphins of India. We also learn how programs like this make not only the dolphins happy, but also the fishermen. Ready to go? Then we'll dive right into the topic.
Puja from Terra Conscious and her crew
As I stand at 7 am on a small beach in the Morjim district of India's coastal Goa, the sun is just beginning to rise. The cove serves as a meeting point, where our fishing boat is already waiting in the water. As Puja welcomes us on the boat, we also get to know her crew. She is supported by her assistant Shakuntala. In addition, the two fishermen brothers Rajesh & Shubham are also part of the party. Because without the fishermen and their boats nothing would work here.
Terra Conscious as a role model
There are several reasons why the two fishermen are part of the project. On the one hand, they drive the boat, take care of the catering and teach Puja their knowledge of the waters. On the other hand, Puja shows them how they can organize and lead the dolphin boat tours themselves in the future. In the long run, they will take over the boat tours completely and only receive marketing support from Terra Conscious. Without the tourism perspective, fishing activities and marine mammals compete for limited fish stocks. Thanks to responsible dolphin tours, they now benefit from each other and can live together in harmony. Meanwhile, all fishermen:inside from the bay are on board. Now the workers have a better and hybrid income: namely from sustainable tours and from classic fishing. "They are proud of their work with the animals and happy about the satisfied customers. So it's a win-win-win situation," Puja reports happily.
Sustainable dolphin watching
"On our tours, it's important to us that we follow the Guidelines and treat people and animals with respect," Puja explains. Here's what that looks like: The guidelines for sustainable dolphin watching stipulate a minimum distance to the animals of 50 meters. In addition, the engine must be switched off in the presence of them. The most important thing, however, is that the boats are not allowed to encircle the animals or chase them. This happens only to the untrained fishermen who try to be guides. Therefore, please check with each tour whether the providers are also trained. The sustainable approach saves the fishermen gasoline, money and some nerves. Instead they are allowed to accompany the marine mammals relaxed and in a parallel line without crossing their paths. Thus the dolphins can hunt in peace and do not need to steal anything from the nets.
My first encounter with lead colored dolphins
On the boat, Puja introduces us to our first dolphin named Bojo. However, Bojo is just a big dolphin stuffed animal. She explains the anatomy of this marine mammal to us as we chug out of the bay. As we drive into the sunrise, we pass beautiful cliffs that lead us to the open sea. When we have gone out a bit, Puja asks us to keep a lookout for the marine mammals.
Suddenly the first real dolphin appears next to us. I am surprised myself how quickly we get to see him. The animal is immediately recognized by our guide by its large dorsal points. It is named Spotty - in English "little dots". It does not take long until Spotty leads us to a group of about 7 other dolphins. Again and again the marine mammals dive down and glide elegantly back to the surface. This peaceful silence on the sea is only interrupted when a dolphin cub jumps vertically into the air. Puja explains: "The little one is doing a bit of nonsense. Actually, they are hunting right now. We might even get lucky and see them still playing. Then they are a little more active." Unfortunately, we miss the play lesson, because the animals want to hunt longer than expected. But something else happens: another group of dolphins approaches us and joins the first family. We could only observe this encounter because nobody was rushed and we kept a respectful distance. Time flies as we spend the morning alongside the marine mammals. Especially the baby dolphin did it to me.
Detour to the mangrove forest
After a while, we drop back in the boat and Puja reveals one of her many fun facts about marine animals. For example, did you know that dolphins play with puffer fish to get "high"? That's because puffer fish emit tetrodotoxin, which has a narcotic effect on dolphins. To get this drug, the marine mammals chew on the puffer fish. While doing so, they pass the fish back and forth among themselves, which looks to us like underwater volleyball games.
After a short detour to the beautiful mangrove forest we have already reached the end of the boat tour and I am overwhelmed by the experience. You also want to see these majestic animals in the wild in India? Then definitely book the 2 ½ hour eco-tour for the equivalent of €23. I can recommend anyone interested in sustainable travel and marine wildlife conservation to take a dolphin watch with Terra Conscious.
Put this natural spectacle on your bucket list and contribute as a responsible visitor a real IMPACKT.
Best regards,
Your Franzi
