Not all dolphins are the same, Goa

Someone in the Goa tourism department is getting a punishment posting - no, not in the Andamans. The vindaloo god's own country was hoping to roll out the red carpet to global tourists at the World Travel Market that's starting in London this week, and earn some precious dollars and mind space of high-end Western tourists - as opposed to the usual 'Dum Maro Dum' lot. But worthy officials have done a spectacular belly flop into the kiddie pool of planning. Just before leaving for London, the tourism department found that promotional posters meant to promote the state, its food, beaches, coastal resources and the ultimate slow life had the wrong species of dolphins printed on them. Instead of the local Indian Ocean humpback dolphin, the posters show an entirely different species: the bottlenose dolphin. That's like passing off the pic of a villa in the French Riviera as a Gurugram luxury residential complex.

This isn't just about wrong posters. No one also seems to be terribly bothered about the lack of basic expertise in the department. While tourism minister Rohan Khaunte promises to investigate this dolphin debacle, one can't help but wonder: when will the state take marine wildlife-watching seriously? If officials can't even identify the star of their own show, how will they flaunt it? By showcasing the local mammal as a fishy mix-up?