Baiji Dolphin

Of course! Here’s 🐬 All About the Baiji Dolphin in the same fun, educational style:

🐬 All About the Baiji Dolphin
The “Goddess of the Yangtze” that once swam through ancient Chinese rivers 🌊🐉🇨🇳

📖 Quick Overview

🌟 What Is a Baiji Dolphin?

The Baiji Dolphin was a freshwater dolphin found only in the Yangtze River in China.

It was also known as the “Yangtze River Dolphin” or the “Goddess of the Yangtze” in Chinese legend.

It had:

• A long, slender beak
• A rounded head with a small eye (they didn’t see well)
• Smooth, pale bluish-gray skin
• A gentle and shy nature

They were smart swimmers, navigating using sound instead of sight!

📍 Where Did Baiji Dolphins Live?

These dolphins lived only in the Yangtze River, the longest river in Asia.

🗺️ Home:

• China’s central and eastern river systems
• Slow-moving stretches of the Yangtze with lots of fish

🌊 Habitat:

• Freshwater rivers—not oceans!
• Liked deep channels and areas near sandbars or islands
• Used sound (echolocation) to “see” in the murky water

🍽️ What Did Baiji Dolphins Eat?

Baijis were carnivores, and they loved fish!

🍴 Favorite river snacks:

• Carp
• Catfish
• Gobies
• Shrimp and other small river creatures

They used echolocation clicks to locate fish in the cloudy water.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family and Groups

Baijis swam in small groups called pods, usually 2–6 dolphins.

👶 Baby Dolphin = Calf

• Calves were born in the summer
• Stayed close to their mothers for milk and safety
• Lived in family-style pods

💪 Brilliant Baiji Dolphin Powers

• Used echolocation like a sonar to hunt in dark water
• Could dive deep and hold breath for several minutes
• Had a long snout to snatch fish in tight spaces
• Gentle and shy—never aggressive

💡 Fun Facts About Baiji Dolphins

• Called “Baiji” (白鱀豚) in Chinese, meaning “white dolphin”
• Lived in the river for millions of years
• Had poor eyesight, but amazing hearing
• Could swim up to 37 miles per hour
• Last confirmed sighting was in 2002 😢

🛑 Are Baiji Dolphins in Danger?

Yes. The Baiji dolphin is now considered “Functionally Extinct” 🔴

What happened?

• Pollution of the Yangtze River
• Boat traffic and collisions
• Overfishing (less food!)
• Dam building that changed their habitat
• They were rare and had few babies

No confirmed sightings in over 20 years, but some people still hope they might survive in hidden parts of the river.

💚 How Can We Help?

• Support freshwater wildlife conservation
• Protect rivers and lakes from pollution
• Learn from the Baiji to help save other endangered dolphins
• Respect nature—it’s the home of amazing animals!

✏️ Activity: Make a Baiji River Scene!

🎨 Use paper and markers to:

• Draw the Yangtze River with a Baiji swimming
• Add fish, boats, and riverbanks
• Write a message about saving river animals

✅ Summary