Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary

Located in the Bhagalpur District of Bihar, Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary is stretched over a span of 50 km of the river Ganges, starting from Sultangunj to Kahalgaon. The Sanctuary was established in the year 1991 to protect the endangered species of Gangetic Dolphins which were once found in abundance, but now only a few hundreds of them have survived.

The Gangetic Dolphins were declared as the National Aquatic Animal of India in the first meeting of the National Ganga River Basin Authority on 5 October 2009. These Dolphins were classified under the IUCN Red List of 2006 as threatened and endangered species and were included in the Schedule-I of Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. The Sanctuary is also home for various other Aquatic and Wild animals that come under the threatened category such as the Indian otter, Gharial, freshwater Turtles etc. The best time to visit the Sanctuary is between October and June.