It is a rare sight to spot dolphins near Mumbai's coast. However, Aarey activist Zoru Bathena was lucky as he managed to spot several dolphins near the coast of Raj Bhavan at Malabar Hill. Earlier this month, fishermen from Gujarat had spotted Dolphin's which were around 200 nautical miles from the west coast of Mumbai.
Also Read: Thanks to the Mahim Beach cleanup drive, migratory birds are making a comeback
According to Aarey activist Zoru Bathena,
"Mumbai has such a beautiful coast with such incredible marine life. Unfortunately our government thinks of our coast as simply a place to dispose off sewage, excess rain water and now, unfortunately, debris for reclamation. When will our government open its eyes and protect the natural beauty that is off Mumbai's Coast. Its time we Mumbaikars wake our government from its slumber."
According to Malhar Kalambe who initiated the 'Beach Please' cleanups,
"These dolphins were humpback dolphins however, spotting dolphins is not uncommon in Mumbai. But we haven't been spotting them regularly since the last few years because of the silt and the pollution in the ocean. During winters, the wind blows from the land to the sea which in turn reduces the amount of silt in water. Therefore, dolphins can be spotted near shallow water. Taking into note that dolphins are endangered species, it is great that we spotted them recently. We really need to do something to protect them."
In May 2018, Indian Ocean humpback dolphins were spotted between Madh Island and Versova jetty. Moreover, many people who travel to Mandwa from Ferry Wharf and to Elephanta Caves from Gateway of India have mostly shared pictures of their dolphin spottings.
Not only marine animals but even migratory birds which were once a rare sight have started visiting Mumbai's coast. Recently, seagulls were spotted at Mahim beach.
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