


Malay common name: Ikan Lumba-lumba
English common name: Irrawaddy Dolphin
Scientific name: Orcaella brevirostris

rank: Vulnerable
Photo Source: WWF
You may be familiar with my cousin, the bottlenose dolphin, but I look a bit different. I have a round, melon-shaped head and no beak. The upturned corners of my mouth make it look like I’m smiling all the time! I hope to grow to a size between 2 and 2.75 metres, like my parents. I live in oceans and rivers and love to eat fish, eggs, and cephalopods (like octopi, squid, and cuttlefish). I’ve been known to spit water long distances in order to herd fish while I’m hunting them. Sometimes I’ll even help fishermen in Myanmar by herding fish into their waiting nets. Then they give me the leftover fish afterwards. It’s a win-win!
I prefer to live in muddy saltwater but some of my kin have been known to favor freshwater and live in rivers like the Mekong River. In Malaysia, you can see me in the Santubong River, Salak River, and Kuching Wetlands National Park.