CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -Currently there are 42 dolphin species and 7 porpoise species which are grouped into six families: the oceanic dolphin family is by far the largest with 38 members; the porpoise family has seven members; and there are four river dolphin families, each containing just one species.

Detailed explanation-2: -At first, it may be surprising that there are dolphins in the Middle East, but there are actually 3 species of dolphins found in Dubai. The Bottlenose Dolphin, the Humpback Dolphin, and the Finless Porpoise are all native to the Arabian Gulf.

Detailed explanation-3: -Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the brackish dolphins), and the extinct Lipotidae (baiji or Chinese river dolphin). There are 40 extant species named as dolphins.

Detailed explanation-4: -Hidden in the Arabian Gulf is one of the world’s most playful and intelligent creatures – the humpback dolphin. A recent study conducted by the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD) found that over 700 humpback dolphins live close to the coast of Abu Dhabi, making it the largest known population in the world.