A PREGNANT Irrawaddy dolphin was sighted Thursday, May 10, in the small pod of these critically endangered marine mammals, also with two new calves, in the coastal waters of Bago-Pulupandan, Negros Occidental.

The happy news excited the survey team of the University of Saint La Salle-Center for Research and Engagement led by Mark de la Paz who has been studying the dolphins for eight years now.

Negros Occidental is one of the only two places in the Philippines where Irrawaddy dolphins can be found, the other being in Palawan.

When the Negros-Guimaras Bridge will be constructed, the dolphins and their ecosystem will be directly impacted.

“The sighting of the new calves and the pregnant dolphin brings a glimmer of hope to these endangered dolphins because their population has seen a drastic decline in the past few years,” de la Paz said in an interview with SunStar Bacolod.

“We are doing all we can by working with the local governments of Bago and Pulupandan to help conserve these endangered animals,” he said.