The Ganges river dolphin is a freshwater river dolphin found primarily in the Ganges river, located in India and Bangladesh. The dolphin’s average weight is 330-374 pounds and 7-8.9 feet at maturity, and they can only live in freshwater and are essentially blind. Like all dolphins, they hunt by emitting ultrasonic sounds, and live off a diet of fish. The Ganges river dolphin is seen as a reliable indicator of the health of the entire Ganges river ecosystem, and in 2009 the government declared it the National Aquatic Animal of India. The oldest recorded age is 28 for a male of the species, but researchers believe they can live on average up to 30 years.

The Ganges river dolphin is one of two subspecies of the South Asian river dolphin, and both species are the last of the Platanistidae family, and are both endangered.

Their population has extreme fluctuations, and their generation time is 10-20 years. The Ganges River Dolphin transitioned from vulnerable to endangered between 1994 & 1996.