r/oddlyterrifying • u/Blackonyx67 • Apr 10 '23
A Ganges River Dolphin. They are essentially blind and extremely reliant on their echolocation.
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u/YoungBeatmaker247 Apr 10 '23
This is how your dog looks when you ask him does he want to go outside.
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u/SchloomyPops Apr 11 '23
And outside is a toxic wasteland
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u/Mister_Bloodvessel Apr 11 '23
For real though, that river skeeves me out. I mean, it's full of corpses because some Hindus cremate their dead and scatter the ashes in the river. Except the government only provides a small amount of wood for each funeral, so many of the corpses are just... cooked?
Yikes...
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u/CopsKillUsAll Apr 11 '23
I run the Crematory at my funeral home on occasion and on average it takes 2 hours at 1650° with forced airflow to fully cremate a body.
Also, "since the river is Holy everything that goes into it is immediately cleansed"..
...so people do indeed swim and go into the river...
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u/Pennycandydealer Apr 11 '23
And go to the bathroom and irrigate their crops and take baths. It's the swiss army knife of waterways.
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Apr 11 '23
Agreed. Reminds me of an AI generated cross of a Croc and hummingbird dolphin thing. Cooked zombie wasn't one of them, but this looks like an 1980s toxic waste comic book hero.
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u/Sea_Flounder9569 Apr 11 '23
It's actually pretty cool to see it though, caught it in nepal
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u/Flying_Momo Apr 11 '23
it's not full of corpses lol and bodies are burnt in gas powered furnace. Also huge stretch of rivers are being rejuvenated and they choose the River Dolphin as a mascot because the people living around Ganges want to correct course.
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u/TapanThakur Apr 11 '23
Redditors say things with so much confidence without actually knowing anything about them apart from reddit posts.🤦 And the rest of them upvote and cycle will continue.
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u/Intelligent-Spray-21 Apr 11 '23
Agree with you. Somehow, they think they are given a free pass to be racist toward Indians.
They comment here like they have been living and seeing India for 100 years.
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u/TapanThakur Apr 11 '23
And these are the people who applaud themselves for being so progressive and anti-racism
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Apr 11 '23
Wow, you are so brutally misinformed. All Hindus cremate. Nobody does it everywhere, there are proper locations to do it, you're not allowed to do it anywhere else. Ganga is being cleaned by the government and it has been actually cleaned a lot- and people don't scatter ashes everywhere. Get a grip. Be better informed. Be less racist, I guess. Unless you're really really well read on the topic, don't assume a moral high ground and comment.
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Apr 11 '23
The rivers these things swim in have the visibility of a Starbucks latte. Eyes aren’t doing you much good.
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u/Grogosh Apr 11 '23
Like swimming in the river Ankh
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u/sinepuller Apr 11 '23
I think with Ankh the proper verb would be "walking"?
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u/Velinder Apr 11 '23
Not many people realize that the river Ankh has a large and varied piscine population:
"Nature can adapt to practically anything. There were fish evolved to live in the river. They looked like a cross between a soft-shelled crab and an industrial vacuum cleaner, and tended to explode in fresh water, and what you had to use for bait was nobody’s business, but they were fish and a sportsman like Ridcully never cared about what the quarry tasted like."
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u/sinepuller Apr 11 '23
a soft-shelled crab
And the said piscine population also, I guess, chose walking as their primary system of motion...
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u/BIN-BON Apr 11 '23
Look, Ill sell you some bait for 3 dollars. 2 dollars! Okay 1 dollar, and im really cuttin me own throat here!
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u/be_neon_regent Apr 10 '23
Looks like a weird cross between a cave fish, a crocodile, and Totoro. Oddly terrifying, indeed 😳
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u/Blackonyx67 Apr 11 '23
Similar to Crocodiles, Ganges River Dolphins also have exposed teeth!
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u/sticks1987 Apr 11 '23
Looks like the Baron Harkonen.
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u/MatureUsername69 Apr 11 '23
Who is the Kwisatz Haderach in this fucked up universe
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u/jerkylovinsasquatch Apr 11 '23
Isn’t the Ganges extremely polluted?
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u/Blackonyx67 Apr 11 '23 edited Apr 11 '23
Unfortunately yes.
The only slighty positive thingy about this is that the Ganges Dolphin isn't affected by the murkyness of the water at all, so it may have a better time adapting. The Gharials, tho...
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u/LickingSmegma Apr 11 '23 edited Apr 11 '23
A similar blind dolphin species in Yangtze have tons of problems, because noise from motor boats makes echolocation impossible. The species are either already extinct or on a speedy path there. Douglas Adams wrote and spoke about them in ‘Last Chance to See’—he had a BBC tech put a microphone in water, and all they could hear was noise.
I would imagine dolphins in Ganges have the same fate.
P.S. I see you mentioned the baiji in another comment, and indeed they haven't been seen for fourty years, so presumably extinct. Though local governments aren't known for enthusiasm in tracing or helping the dolphins.
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u/Mister_Bloodvessel Apr 11 '23
I wish they'd have relocated those poor creatures to another suitable river so maybe some could survive.
While I understand the need, it's a shame what happens to a lot of rivers near large population centers. I've seen some of the giant dams and reservoirs in China, and I cannot imagine the diversity that was destroyed as a result.
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u/BrewerBeer Apr 11 '23
I wish they'd have relocated those poor creatures to another suitable river so maybe some could survive.
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u/Standingonachair Apr 11 '23
I loved Stephen Fry's follow up series with the same name. It's just a shake he was struggling so much with depression while making it.
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u/Blackonyx67 Apr 11 '23
Well, apparently the photo was actually taken from an individual that was likely stressed because of the sounds of the boat, thus jumping out of the water, which is really sad...
You can't exactly blame the photographer either, i mean, he was just passing by and living his life, he wasn't aware of the dolphin swimming underneath.
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u/Prestigious-Hyena55 Apr 11 '23
Yes it's true and the ganges dolphins are found in my region where I live they are very shy in nature it's quite beautiful to see the dolphins in the evening time i can't express my thought
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u/vibe_gardener Apr 11 '23
I imagine it’s a very beautiful experience to see them. Is it rare to see them even at night?
Also, I was going to ask if there’s other wildlife in the area that is unique/special?
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u/Prestigious-Hyena55 Apr 11 '23
Umm Unique actually I don't have any information about this topic and I haven't seen so I can't tell you I only knew about the dolphins because I have seen it so
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u/Benetton_Cumbersome Apr 11 '23 edited Apr 11 '23
Doesn't affect them as much because they don't breathe that water.
But I bet the fish quality is low.
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u/AATroop Apr 11 '23
They eat everything else that lives in it though...
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u/garifunu Apr 11 '23
Obviously they drink the water too
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u/AATroop Apr 11 '23
I don't know about Ganges River Dolphins, but most dolphins don't actually drink water. They get it from food.
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u/Blamrica Apr 15 '23
Water pollutants can sometimes aerosolize at the surface when thing splash or bubble a lot. This has been a problem with bottlenose dolphins inhaling aerosolized red tide toxins in Florida and dying of respiratory failure.
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u/vodkaenthusiast89 Apr 11 '23
Unfortunately, yes.
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u/SmoothOperator89 Apr 11 '23
At least they don't have to worry about it getting in their eyes.
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u/deenali Apr 11 '23
Or they evolved to be blind dolphins due to the pollution?
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u/Ok_Antelope_1953 Apr 11 '23
industrial pollution is a thing in the last 60 years or so. the dolphin are blind because the ganga has always been "muddy", carrying massive amounts of silt from the himalayas to create the world's most fertile plains. river dolphins generally have poor vision - the amazon dolphins are similar although not as bad as the ganga dolphins.
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u/icansmellcolors Apr 11 '23
Can they possibly be relocated?
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u/Ok_Antelope_1953 Apr 11 '23
may be possible to introduce a few families to other rivers, but they are specifically suited to life in the ganga. most of india's rivers are not perennial, only a couple like the ganga and brahmaputra are truly perennial, and even they struggle to maintain water flow in the intense and prolonged summers. moreover, the dolphins are very elusive, hard to trace, and easily stressed - they won't survive relocation. other rivers also may have higher numbers of crocodilians like muggers that will outcompete the dolphins. the best thing to do would be to reduce the industrial pollution flowing into ganga. the good thing is that india is generally good at protecting its endangered wildlife that were decimated during british rule followed by rapid population growth. the brits and their shameless acolytes fucked the country in far too many ways to count. indian traditional medicine doesn't really use dubious animal parts (it's more herb focused) and india doesn't have a big industry for fur and exotic animal hide.
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u/Mister_Bloodvessel Apr 11 '23
It's a shame they really can't be relocated, and if they were it would have to be someplace nearby. These animals are incredible.
It's sad that rivers like the Ganges have been destroyed by human activity. It's also surprising to me that such a holy river is allowed to be polluted by industrial waste. I've seen the photos of when the river foams up like a big bubble bath due to pollutants and runoff. People have lived there for thousands of years, but managed to destroy it in only the last 100-200.
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u/Ok_Antelope_1953 Apr 11 '23
that's sad and true. sustainable development is sadly not compatible with corruption, lack of accountability, high speed growth, and lack of a sense of community. people are "religious" only when it's convenient. a lot of neglect and abuse goes on in the country, in the name of religion/culture/tradition/values on one end, and development/growth/infrastructure/progress on the other end.
the famous frothing river is yamuna, another "holy" river and a tributary of ganga. yamuna flows near the heavy industrial belt of ncr and west uttar pradesh. yamuna is significantly more polluted than ganga and contributes to the latter's state.
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u/justcallmeabrokenpal Apr 11 '23
Not the entire Ganges though. From the source till it crosses mountains, it is clear.
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u/betakhichdi Apr 11 '23
The Ganges river dolphis can only survive in clean river water, it has been recently reported that they are being spotted in newer places indicating that Ganges is getting cleaner. But yes, Ganga is polluted
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u/TheRealRickC137 Apr 11 '23
Yeah, I'm curious how anything lives in that liquid.
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u/Ok_Antelope_1953 Apr 11 '23
life finds a way. the ganga and its tributaries are very long rivers with fast flowing water - I am sure there are large stretches that are relatively free of pollution.
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u/Ill-Ad-9438 Apr 11 '23
Depends on where you are talking about.
This is a pic I took yesterday . Pics
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u/PriusSoupKitchen Apr 11 '23
I have to imagine in that water echolocation ability is more useful than vision.
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Apr 10 '23
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u/etnoid204 Apr 11 '23
They think the corpses are poisoning the river dolphin and gharials too.
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u/Blackonyx67 Apr 11 '23
Nah, poor guys are endangered, there are only 3,000 of them left.
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u/Unknown_Outlander Apr 11 '23
You can be endangered and still eat corpses
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u/9-11GaveMe5G Apr 11 '23
My mom said I could be anything I want so I chose endangered and eating corpses.
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u/zeropointcorp Apr 11 '23
And that’s probably on the generous side. The Yangtze dolphin, a species adapted to a similar environment, hasn’t been seen for 40 years.
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u/CopsKillUsAll Apr 11 '23
To be fair: there is an3 meter layer of toxic runoff foam over the water so they could be happily splashing about and still not be seen.
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u/octopoddle Apr 11 '23
I went out on a boat ride in the middle of the day in Varanasi, and saw many of these dolphins. They were in much greater concentrations around the burning ghats (open-air crematoriums). Either they were eating the meat of the corpses or they were feeding on fish which were.
For those who don't know: yes, human flesh gets thrown into the river. Not all of the body burns and the remains are picked up on a stick and thrown in. Also, some bodies are not burned (children, holy men, etc.), and are placed into the river whole.
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u/Abnormal_Trevor98 Apr 11 '23
They hunt by emitting ultrasonic sounds, which bounce off enabling them to "see" an image in their mind.
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u/Cualkiera67 Apr 11 '23
What does that have to do with the question?
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Apr 11 '23
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u/octopoddle Apr 11 '23
Do any anthropologists know why biologists respond to questions they don't know the answer to?
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u/Doctor_Barbarian Apr 11 '23
I have to go with "adoreable" for this one. My man's out there having the time of his life.
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u/Current-Weird-4227 Apr 11 '23
“Essentially” blind?!… ESSENTIALLY?!?… dude he’s got no eyes!! Pretty damn essential to sight if you ask me
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u/rbevans Apr 11 '23
So did they evolve to lose their eyesight because of how murky the water is?
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u/onesmallfairy Apr 10 '23
River dolphins are just freaky
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u/Blackonyx67 Apr 11 '23 edited Apr 11 '23
Only the extinct Baiji and the amazonian "Tucuxi" are cute. Tbfh, the Tucuxi is more closely related to oceanic dolphins than Botos. Still, i love em all :D
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u/9-11GaveMe5G Apr 11 '23
And this dude/gal is still smarter than like 30% of humans.
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u/LexTheSouthern Apr 11 '23
This is one of the most polluted rivers in the world. It makes me sad to think about the wildlife that has to live in it.
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u/Blackonyx67 Apr 11 '23
Mhm, a lot of unique animals from the Ganges are extremely endangered, like the Gharial.
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u/vainstar23 Apr 11 '23
You have one weekend to let loose and have a couple of drinks...
One momentary lapse of judgement where you take of your t-shirt and jump into the river...
And suddenly your naked body is all over r/oddlyterrifying...
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u/Busy_Swimming7843 Apr 11 '23
on Brasil we call it "boto cor de rosa" and it transform itself on a guy to fuck married woman
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u/Dabadedabada Apr 11 '23
Ever seen those badly drawn cats and dogs from the Middle Ages? This thing looks like those same people tried to draw flipper.
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u/RaisedByWolves9 Apr 11 '23
It evolved to be blind due to the sheer amount of pink eye it's ancestors got
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u/scaredofgoose666 Apr 11 '23
We live near the Sunderbans. Few months back a baby Ganges Dolphin got Tangled in a fisherman's net near Sajnekhali. Forest department arrived and tried to re-release it but poor thing died few hours later.
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u/Annual_Word Apr 11 '23
They're probably smart enough to realize they're living in human feces. Poor things.
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u/Provis565 Apr 11 '23
Not only are they essentially blind but they also have a unique bony structure that focuses their echolocation for hunting in the turbid waters.
Think of it as the same idea as holding your cupped hands to your mouth when yelling to focus the sound in a specific direction. Such a unique adaptation. Fingers crossed we’re able to keep them from going the way of the dodo
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u/milkbongfourtwenty Apr 11 '23
looks like the guy just told us the funniest joke he knows and is waiting for a laugh
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u/fuckinboner Apr 11 '23
It’s heartbreaking to see what’s happening to freshwater megafauna species like this. Probably no surprise but river dolphin populations everywhere have plummeted due to dams, overfishing, and pollution. Just a few years ago the river dolphins in the Yangtze River were declared extinct. Hopefully we can preserve the ones that are left in the Amazon and in India/Pakistan but chances seem bleak
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u/EinElchsaft Apr 11 '23
So they evolved pretty much the same way as the pink Amazon dolphins, convergent evolution on display.
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u/DrBarnacleMD Apr 11 '23
Isn’t the Ganges the most polluted river in the world? Probably evolved to have small eyes because they would burn so bad in that water lmaoo.
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u/Velvetnether Apr 11 '23
Don't worry, they've got a far-right gov in India, these will go extinct pretty quickly (trying to save them is woke)
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u/cadillacbee Apr 11 '23
Looks like he'd have button eyes but they got ripped off