Dolphins Spotted in Gwadar Amid Noctiluca Bloom

A large pod of dolphins was recently observed in the waters off Gwadar, WWF-Pakistan reported, describing the sighting as rare despite the ongoing Noctiluca bloom in the area.

In a statement issued on Saturday, WWF-Pakistan noted that the Noctiluca bloom, which turns seawater green, has been recurring along the Pakistan coast since 2012. The 2017 bloom was particularly intense, covering the entire Arabian Sea, including waters of Iran, Pakistan, India, Oman, and the Persian Gulf.

In 2025, the bloom began in Pakistani waters in November and spread along the Karachi coast.

Technical Advisor Muhammad Moazzam Khan said, “The current bloom poses no toxic threat, and no associated fish mortality has been reported along the coast.” He added that some reports misinterpret the bloom and wrongly link it to pollution.

WWF-Pakistan is closely monitoring the bloom, which is now patchy along the entire coast and particularly dense between Pasni and Jiwani. The winter bloom is typical of the northern Arabian Sea and is influenced by cold-water upwelling and eddy formation in the region.

Noctiluca scintillans, a small, free-floating organism, may appear in red, orange, green, or colorless forms. “Along Pakistan’s coast, blooms are most often green or orange and can spread extensively depending on seasonal conditions,” WWF-Pakistan said.

“Although the organism itself is not green, the colour comes from its internal symbiont, Protoeuglena noctilucae, which enables it to photosynthesise and grow rapidly. Because Noctiluca is naturally bioluminescent, its presence creates the glittering glow reported at night.”