Last Thursday, the 4th, the appearance of dolphins on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro caught the attention of many tourists and bathers. After all, this is the first time in three decades that it is possible to find the animals in the state. Faced with this apparition, researchers from the State University of Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, decided to investigate the case.
About 500 dolphins appear in Rio
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According to UERJ scientists, it was possible to map around 500 dolphins of the Guiana dolphin species (Sotália guianensis) on the beaches of Rio. In addition, the group drew attention to the diversity of ages, since it was possible to find both juvenile and adult dolphins and even calves in this community.
With this, the suspicion is that these animals have managed to integrate into the population of Guanabara Bay. However, further study is needed before reaching a conclusion. In addition, it is also necessary to know the origin of these animals and under what circumstances they ended up on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro.
In this case, one of the hypotheses of the researchers is that these animals are probably from Ilha Grande Bay and have migrated to the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. For the scientists, one of the reasons that may have attracted this community to the Rio region is the search for food, which would explain the presence of entire communities on the beaches.
First appearance in three decades
This is the first time in 30 years that it has been possible to record the appearance of dolphins in the region of Guanabara Bay. It is noteworthy that, in the 1980s, there was a population of almost 400 dolphins in the region, which indicates that the recent appearance includes more animals than previously.
Finally, the resurgence of the species brought with it the certainty that the water treatment programs in Guanabara Bay are having an effect. After all, there are several projects under development so that the Rio de Janeiro waterfront has the environmental conditions to harbor new species.
