Ganesh Chowdhury from Nayachar, West Bengal has always had a passion for wildlife. Find out how the young photographer became a strong voice for the endangered Ganges River Dolphin.
As published in Nature inFocus on 13 May, 2021. Read the full interview here.
Type Nayachar on Google, and you will be directed to a small island situated amidst the Hooghly River in the Medinipur district of West Bengal. The focus of a 12-year survey published by the Zoological Survey of India, Nayachar is a place known for its rich biodiversity. However, hidden from Google’s prying eyes is another Nayachar – in the Nadia district – a safe haven for the endangered Ganges River Dolphin.
In 2020, the lesser-known Nayachar found itself in the news when a photographer from the region showed by example that relentless efforts often yield remarkable results. Ganesh Chowdhury’s ‘The Last Stand’ won the Animal Portraits category at the Nature inFocus Photography Awards, 2020. After a four-hour wait in the river, Chowdhury had photographed a Ganges River Dolphin emerging from the water, using a point-and-shoot camera. While talking about the image, jury member and wildlife photographer Dhritiman Mukherjee said, “I have never seen such an intimate portrait of this shy animal, featuring almost its entire body, with such an adorable expression to boot.”
It wasn’t just the endangered species tag or its adorable expression that made the image special. For many of us, this is a rare sight of a rare species, but for Chowdhury, it is a vision he has seen time and time again in Nayachar. Born and raised on the island, he has always been fond of the aquatic species. “Mujhe dolphins se itna lagav hai ke main unhe baar baar dekhne jaata hoon (I feel so connected to them that I go to see the dolphins often),” he said over a phone conversation, when I asked him about his journey to becoming a photographer and a voice for this endangered species. His enthusiasm is infectious, as he talks about the world he lives in. So infectious that you almost begin to consider leaving the humdrum of city life and moving to a place where the wilderness is at your doorstep. But before this conversation gets all Walden-esque, let me tell you that Chowdhury’s journey is not devoid of its share of struggles. As he informed me, even basic amenities like electricity have reached his village only about two years ago.
Head over to Nature inFocus for the complete story.