A recent study has revealed the Chilika lake in Orissa, India is now home to a total of 135 endangered Irrawaddy dolphins. The findings of the survey indicated that the lagoon had 115 adult Irrawaddy dolphins, 15 sub-adults and five calves.

It was the first time that the annual dolphin census was conducted using the global positioning system. The change found in the latest study was that the dolphins were living in different parts of the lagoon than previously thought, with the highest number of dolphins sighted in the lake's outer channel that is connected to the Bay of Bengal.

Statistics available show the Irrawaddy dolphin population in the world is currently around 1,000 and, despite a marginal increase in the population of the dolphins in Chilika, the species are constantly under threat from the thousands of boats plying in the lake for the purpose of fishing and ferrying of tourists.

A number of incidents have been reported in the past where the dolphins were killed by getting entangled in the fishing nets or being hit by the propellers of the tourist boats. Eight dolphins were killed in the lake last year.