Most people love dolphins. There is something about that seeming big grin that they have and how playful they are that sparks our interest. They are amazing creatures with their sonar and intelligence.
Most of the time dolphins are found in the sea. There are a few however whose natural habitat is fresh water. They aren’t that common. Unfortunately, most of us may never get a chance to see them since the Yangtze River dolphin or baiji are now considered functionally extinct.
The baiji are also called the goddess of the Yangtze by some. There used to thousands of the dolphins swimming in the Yangtze in the 1950’s. By the mid 80’s their numbers were down to the hundreds. Now the expedition to help protect them couldn’t find even one.
It is a great loss for the world. The baiji was an ancient species. There is fossilized evidence showing that the baiji have been in existence for 20 million years. Thanks to pollution, over fishing and the damage to their habitat, they are now gone.
