I am Rakesh Manjhi , a Semester 5 student at Patna Science College, Patna University. As part of my Semester 5 course, I got the opportunity to complete a 40-hour internship at the National Dolphin Research Centre (NDRC), Patna. For me, this was not just an internship but a memorable learning experience that helped me understand the Ganges River Dolphin closely. When I first visited NDRC, I met the Interim Director, Dr. Gopal Sharma, who was also our internship guide. I was very happy and excited to get the opportunity to study and learn about the Ganges River Dolphin and its research and conservation.

How My Understanding of the Ganges River Dolphin Changed

Before joining the internship, I knew very little about dolphins and used to think of the Ganges River Dolphin simply as a large fish. However, my perspective completely changed after attending the internship at NDRC. I learned that the Ganges River Dolphin is a mammal, not a fish, and is almost blind. It uses echolocation to locate its surroundings and find prey. The Ganges River Dolphin is India’s National Aquatic Animal and is considered an endangered species. It is also included in the IUCN Red List. Considering its ecological importance, the Government of India declared the Ganges River Dolphin as the National Aquatic Animal of India on 5 October 2009. The species generally gives birth to one calf at a time.

My First Field Experience with a Ganges River Dolphin

During the internship, we also went on a two-day field trip. It was the first time I had the opportunity to see a Ganges River Dolphin with my own eyes at Triveni Ghat in Fatuha. The area is an important habitat for dolphins because the meeting of different river channels provides suitable conditions and an availability of fish, which attracts dolphins for feeding.
During the field visit, I also tried to record a video of a dolphin. Capturing a clear photograph or video of a Ganges River Dolphin is quite difficult because it appears above the water surface only for a very short time. Dolphins may surface at intervals of approximately 30 seconds to two minutes. Unfortunately, my video was not recorded clearly, but my friend Shamshad managed to capture a much better video, which I would like to share with this article.

                                                                    Credit: Samshad

A Learning Experience That Increased My Knowledge and Confidence

After completing the internship, we appeared for a 100-mark objective test based on our learning about the Ganges River Dolphin, in which I scored 79 marks. We also gave a PPT presentation about our internship and what we had learned in front of our college HOD and professors. It was another valuable experience for all of us. Finally, we received certificates for completing the 40-hour internship, which were presented by the Joint Secretary of the concerned Environment and Water Resources Department through NDRC.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Gopal Sharma Sir for guiding us and sharing such valuable knowledge about the Ganges River Dolphin. His teaching and guidance inspired me to spread awareness among people and contribute to the conservation of the Ganges River Dolphin.
This internship has been one of the most memorable and meaningful learning experiences of my student life. It not only increased my knowledge about an important aquatic species but also made me understand the importance of protecting and conserving our river ecosystem.

If you would like to see my PPT presentation in PDF format, you can access it through the link given below .

[Click Here to View PDF Presentation]