Jakarta, Feb. 15 -- The declining population of the Mahakam dolphin ( Orcaella brevirostris ), which lives in the Mahakam River, East Kalimantan, has been a concern for the Indonesian government since late last year.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categorizes the species as a critically endangered species due to its projected population decline of more than 80 percent over the past decade.

In Indonesia, according to monitoring by the Ministry of Environment, the Mahakam dolphin population has decreased from 66 in 2025 to 62 as of February 2026.

Biologically, the Mahakam dolphin, which eats fish and shrimp, breathes using its lungs and is classified as a freshwater mammal. Its body is gray to dark blue in colo...