Cartoons on Dolphin Depredation

The issue of depredation, i.e. dolphins damaging fishing nets to take fish, has been a growing concern both for cetaceans and fishers in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas. I collaborated with ACCOBAMS (Agreement on Conservation of Cetaceans of Black and Mediterranean Seas) to bring out a set of 9 cartoons that break down the issue of dolphin depredation, and explain how better monitoring and implementation of scientific solutions can help control the problem. The cartoons have been translated to French, Italian, Spanish, Maltese and Arabic, and are being used in publications and multimedia, targeted at ACCOBAMS' partners and funding organizations. Another publication I am working on for ACCOBAMS, a comic + colouring book on the relationship between fishers and dolphins of the Mediterranean and Black Seas, will be out next month.

A big thanks to Julie Belmont from ACCOBAMS for the opportunity!

Marine Noise and Dolphins

Marine noise is a growing threat worldwide, to the ecology of dolphins and other cetaceans that rely on sonar for communication, navigation and feeding. Comic from my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine.

Chilka's new Ambassador Fishing Cat

Chilka, India's largest lagoon has been fraught with conservation issues. Chilka's official ambassador, the Fishing Cat, takes you on a quick boat ride in my column with Roundglass Sustain. The comic has been created with inputs from my friend Tiasa Adhya, co-founder of The Fishing Cat Project, who has been working to save Fishing Cats in Chilka. 

Project Dolphin and National Waterways

Project Dolphin was launched by the Prime Minister this year on Independence Day (15th August) with the aim of conserving our national aquatic animal, the endangered Gangetic Dolphin. But another government endeavour, the National Waterways Project, threatens the species, which will involve dredging and development of the rivers that are the dolphin's last remaining strongholds. Is Project Dolphin actually designed to bear fruit or simply as a greenwashing measure for the ecologically destructive National Waterways Project? Comic from my column with The Hindu.

Dolphins of the World

Meet the 44 dolphin species of the world in this brand new poster, from the largest, the Orca (Killer Whale) to the smallest, the Hector's Dolphin. Some of the most threatened dolphins are the ones found in freshwater ecosystems and estuaries, while many other species continue to decline. 

Dolphin prints are available as a wide range of prints, apparel and merchandise on my webstore here. 

(Note that the poster includes only species recognized by the IUCN. Sub-species like the Bolivian and Indus River Dolphins do not feature in this poster Printing and shipping within India are suspended at the moment and will resume after the COVID lockdown is lifted).

Vessel Noise and the Gangetic Dolphin

Noise from vessels in the Ganga is emerging to be an added threat to our National Aquatic Animal, the endangered Gangetic Dolphin. Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

Read Aathira Perinchery's article on the issue here.

Gangetic Dolphin Mascot and Poster

Meet Muskaan the Gangetic Dolphin, India's national aquatic animal, and Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary's official mascot! Vikramshila is the only dolphin sanctuary in India. The poster explains some of the conservation threats the species faces in and around the sanctuary, and is being used for conservation awareness locally.

Thanks to the Forest Department of Bihar for commissioning me for the assignment!

Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary

(Click to enlarge)

Vikramshila, India's only dolphin sanctuary, is located on the holy Ganga in Bhagalpur, Bihar, and is one of the last remaining strongholds for the endangered Gangetic Dolphin. The sanctuary is also the breeding ground of the endangered Greater Adjutant (locally known and revered as Garuda), Smooth-coated Otters and several freshwater turtles; and is visited by a myriad migratory bird species in the winters.

Illustrated for the Forest Department of Bihar.

Maps of Marine Conservation Priority Sites in Hong Kong

To celebrate World Oceans Day (8th June), WWF Hong Kong commissioned me to create this set of 7 maps for marine conservation priority sites in Hong Kong. WWF is working with the government to create marine conservation reserves in these areas. The maps show some of the key species found in the region, as well as the threats and conservation pressures that they face. 

The maps were displayed at kiosks and interactive devices at the WWF Hong Kong event 'Sea for Future', held on World Oceans Day. The maps are also being used in WWF's marine conservation and awareness collaterals. Thanks to Samantha Lee of WWF for commissioning me for this project, and for giving me a chance to draw and learn about fish!

Similarities between Dolphins and Marine Biologists

A comic about dolphins and marine biologists from my column with Mid-Day today. Dedicated to many of my friends who are marine biologists, but particularly to the lovely Asha De Vos, Sri Lankan marine biologist and pioneer of Blue Whale research, who I had in mind while drawing this comic!

Do you have a marine biologist friend? Surprise him/her by gifting a print of the comic from my webstore here. (Email me on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com for orders within India).

The Wildlife Map of Hong Kong

Hong Kong- the name automatically conjures the visual of that famous skyline, with high-rise buildings trying to outgrow each other in a dense concrete jungle. But what many of us aren't aware of, is that only a fourth of Hong Kong's area is urbanized, the rest being hilly, forested coutryside!

Commissioned by the WWF in Hong Kong, I travelled across the SAR, visiting different country parks to gather references for this project. The map shows 63 species of fauna spread across the islands. Hong Kong may not boast of megafauna, but many of the animals found here are special in their own way. The Romer's Tree Frog, HKSAR's smallest amphibian, is endemic to Hong Kong. Following the construction of the Honk Kong International Airport on the island of Chek Lap Kok, the frog's original home range, a captive breeding and reintroduction programme was carried out, and now the frog is breeding in other islands of the SAR. The Mai Po marshes, in the north-west, attract hundreds of migratory species annually, the most notable being the endangered Black-faced Spoonbill. Some other endemics include the Mai Po Bent-winged Firefly, named after the marshes, and the Hong Kong Newt, which is the first wild newt I've seen (in Tai Po Country Park). Towards the west in the Pearl River Delta, Hong Kong's harbours are one of the last strongholds for the Chinese White Dolphin, despite the numerous challenges that the animal faces in these polluted waters. The Finless Porpoise and the Whale Shark also inhabit the South China Sea around the SAR, as does the Green Sea Turtle, which breeds on Lamma Island. Unique not just in its biodiversity but also geology, Hong Kong boasts of some of the most interesting terrain, being situated on volcanic terra firma. Sai Kung Country Park in the east has some of the most gorgeous hexagonal rock formations, while a large part of the coastline is lines with dense mangrove. There are various conservation challenges however to this natural harbour, with massive pressure from urbanization, destruction of mangroves along the coasts, pollution of sea water by cargoes and climate change. Other than flora and fauna, the map also showcases some of Hong Kong's cultural heritage, such as the fishing village of Tai O, the Tai Fu Tai Mansion, the rice fields of Long Valley, the Star Ferry, and its festivities- the Dragon Boat Race and the Lion Dance.

The map was produced with the aim of spreading awareness among Hong Kongers about its biodiversity, and to promote activities such as bird-watching and nature-hiking among the SAR's kids and youth. The map was formally launched at the recent One Planet Youth Forum hosted by the WWF in Hong Kong, where I had the opportunity to speak about my work to an audience comprised of young educators and conservationists across the Asia Pacific.

A big thanks to Mr. Alex Wong, Mr. Yamme Leung and Mr. Peter Cornthwaite of WWF HK, for commissioning me for the illustration, and for assigning a wonderful team to show me around Hong Kong!

The project has been featured by CNN International here, and has also been converted into a bilingual map, courtesy of WWF Hong Kong (click to enlarge)-

Why the Dolphin Smiles

Earlier this month on a visit to Hong Kong over an assignment, I took a trip with WWF to the fishing village of Tai O. While the trip yielded my first dolphin sightings in the wild (the Chinese White Dolphin, a race of the Indo-Pacific Humpbacked Dolphin, for which the Pearl River Delta in Hong Kong is one of the last remaining strongholds); a very special moment for me, I also happened to witness a rather jolting sight- that of a dead infant.

Infant mortality for dolphins has been on the rise in the Pearl Delta, because of the rising level of pollutants in the water, that go on to accumulate in and contaminate the milk of dolphins nursing their pups. Seeing that smiling face on a dead body has been one of the most disturbing moments for me in nature. Being one of the world's busiest ports, Hong Kong's polluted waters are already largely devoid of natural marine resources, posing a critical threat to the population of Chinese White Dolphins. 

The situation for Indo-pacific Humpbacks in India is not any better, with boat traffic, pollution, over-fishing, and noise threatening their existence. The comic appears in my column with Mid-Day today. This one's for you, baby dolphin.