A marine mammal..the Chinese white dolphin (Sousa chinensis); 中華白海豚. AKA PINK DOLPHIN AKA INDO-PACIFIC HUMPBACK DOLPHIN (Sousa chinensis)
Mr Dolphin, aka Thomas Tue manages FANTASTIC dolphin tours...with some incredible viewings - and photo opportunities, like the picture below..
There is no dolphin chasing, just a great “gut feel” of where and when to look, backed of course by 17 years of experience and dolphin knowledge. Their numbers in Hong Kong waters have fallen from an estimated 158 in 2003 to just 37 in 2021 (AFCD). SEE THEM: Their existence has reached crisis point locally due to construction work, high speed ferries, and overall pollution. Go see them while you still can, on a special boat cruise. Make sure these are credible operators, like Dolphin Watch. SPECIES ID: Pinky colour, long, thin beak and an enlarged dorsal hump.
Here he is in full flow...
The Chinese white dolphin (Sousa chinensis; Chinese: 中華白海豚; pinyin: Zhōnghuá bái hǎitún).
An adult Chinese white dolphin is white or pink, and as these photos show some of the population along the Chinese coast have pink skin. These animals are warm blooded mammals, weigh c200kg, and they can live for around 40 years. They come up to the surface to breath every two to eight minutes and as Thomas helpfully pointed out, they normally come up twice in succession to breath before diving again, which helps get the photos of this challenging subject.
So why are they pink?
The pink colour comes not from a pigment, but from blood vessels which were overdeveloped for thermoregulation. When chasing food these animals disperse heat to their outer layers of skin, and this can make them look even pinker.
We interrupt this blog message to remind you that plastic pollution is a very real and serious problem for all our marine creatures...image courtesy of Sea Shepherd.
The white dolphin is threatened by both habitat loss and pollution, and there is a possibility that Hong Kong may lose its rare Chinese white/pink dolphins unless we take urgent action against pollution and other threats. Their numbers in Hong Kong waters have fallen from an estimated 158 in 2003 to just 78 in 2011, down to "Only 37 Chinese white dolphins remain in Hong Kong, according to the latest statistics from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department" in september 2021, with a further decline expected by the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society.
Even dolphin watching can endanger these animals, as the Hong Kong Agricultural and Fisheries Department only has a voluntary code of conduct. The basic principles of these codes of conduct are to always observe the dolphins from a distance, and to not attempt to physically contact, feed or harm the dolphins. Additionally, boats should maintain a slow and steady speed, not exceeding 10 knots, and the boat should always maintain a parallel movement to the dolphin's course.
Thomas is the CEO of Eco Association and a columnist for Children's Science magazine.
Thomas and I on the tour.
Eco Facebook: www.facebook.com/eco.org.hk
