• Menu
  • Menu
  • News
  • Subscribe
  • Logout
Trending
UAE holidays 2021 Coronavirus Special Reports Call support now available on CV services Travel
  • Latest News
  • UAE
    • Crime
    • Education
      • Young Editors
    • Environment
    • Government
    • Health
      • Better Health
      • Why Worry
    • Transport
    • Science
    • Weather
    • Reader Complaint
    • Ask the Law
  • Living In UAE
    • Visa+Immigration
    • Housing
    • Phone+Internet
    • Banking
    • Transport
    • Health
    • Education
    • Relocate
    • Ask Us
  • Gulf
  • Your Money
    • Saving and Investment
    • Budget Living
    • Taxation
    • Expert Columns
    • Community Tips
  • Business
    • Banking
    • Aviation
    • Property
    • Energy
    • Analysis
    • Tourism
    • Markets
    • Retail
    • Company Releases
  • World
    • Gulf
      • Bahrain
      • Kuwait
      • Oman
      • Qatar
      • Saudi
      • Yemen
    • Mena
    • Europe
      • Brexit
    • Africa
    • Americas
      • US Presidential Elections 2020
    • Asia
      • India
      • Pakistan
      • Philippines
    • Oceania
    • Offbeat
    • Court and Crime
    • Coronavirus
    • Infographics
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Op-Eds
    • Letters
    • Off the Cuff
    • Cartoons
    • From the Editors
  • Sport
    • UAE Sport
    • Horse Racing
      • Dubai World Cup
    • Cricket
      • ICC
    • Football
    • Motorsport
    • Tennis
      • Dubai Duty Free Tennis 2020
    • Golf
    • Rugby
  • Entertainment
    • Hollywood
    • Bollywood
    • Pakistani Cinema
    • Pinoy Celebs
    • South Indian
    • Arab Celebs
    • Music
    • TV
    • Books
    • Theatre
    • Arts+Culture
  • Going Out
    • Movie Reviews
    • Society
  • Photos
    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Readers' Photos
    • Lifestyle
    • Business
    • Sports
  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy & Baby
    • Learning & Play
    • Child Health
    • For Mums & Dads
    • Ask Us
  • Auto
    • News
    • Test Drives
    • Car Culture
    • Auto Care
  • Lifestyle
    • Health+Fitness
      • Beating Breast Cancer
    • Family
    • Community
      • India
      • Pakistan
      • #Pinoy
    • Home
    • Fashion
    • Weekend Review
  • GN Reach
  • Jobs
  • Tech
    • Electronics
      • Gitex Shopper
    • Gaming
    • Trends
    • Fin-Tech
    • Media
  • How To
    • Employment
      • Jobs
    • Passports & Visas
    • Your Money
    • Legal
  • Videos
    • How-To
    • Best Of Bollywood
    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Business
    • Sport
    • #Pinoy
    • Community
    • Travel
    • Technology
  • GN Focus
  • Travel
    • Destinations
    • Hotels
  • Gold-Forex
  • Notifications
  • Gold/Forex
  • Prayer Times
  • Cinema Listing
  • About Gulf News
  • Contact us
  • Work with us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Gulf News store
  • Advertise with us
  • Reach by GN
  • GN Focus
  • Gulf News epaper
  • Sitemap
  • Have your say
  • © Al Nisr Publishing LLC 2021. All rights reserved.
    Hong Kong pink dolphins enjoy comeback as COVID-19 pandemic slows marine traffic

    Photos

    Login / Sign Up
    Logout
    Wednesday, January 20, 2021
    Gold / Forex

    Photos News

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Readers' Photos
    • Lifestyle
    • Business
    • Sports
    All Sections

    Hong Kong pink dolphins enjoy comeback as COVID-19 pandemic slows marine traffic

    This year their numbers have bounced back - and they have the pandemic to thank


    Published:  October 16, 2020 13:24 AFP  and  Compiled by Nathaniel Lacsina, Senior Web Editor

    1 of 14
    pink dolphins gallery
    Hong Kong: Rare pink dolphins are returning to the waters between Hong Kong and Macau after the coronavirus pandemic halted ferries, but scientists remain deeply concerned about their long-term survival in one of the world's busiest sea lanes. The tell-tale flash of pink leaping from the waters alerts Naomi Brennan to the presence of a local Chinese white dolphin and she jots the animal's location into a GPS device. Image Credit: AFP
    2 of 14
    pink dolphins gallery
    Conservationists like Brennan regularly board boats in the Pearl River Delta to document how the mammals, known for their eye-catching pink colouring, are faring. "Today we encountered three different groups of dolphins - six adults and two sub-adults," she explained. "They were engaging in a range of behaviour, from feeding to travelling and socialising." Image Credit: AFP
    3 of 14
    pink dolphins gallery
    For years keeping tabs on the dolphins has been a disheartening task. The population has fallen by 70-80 percent in the past 15 years in what is one of the world's most industrialised estuaries. But this year their numbers have bounced back - and they have the pandemic to thank. Image Credit: AFP
    4 of 14
    pink dolphins gallery
    Ferries between Hong Kong and Macau have been suspended since February, providing local marine scientists an opportunity to study how the mammals have adapted to the "unprecedented quiet". "We're seeing much larger group sizes as well as much more socialising, mating behaviour, which we hadn't really been seeing for the last five years or so," said Dr. Lindsay Porter, a Hong Kong-based marine scientist. Image Credit: AFP
    5 of 14
    pink dolphins gallery
    According to Porter's research team, the number of pink dolphins has increased by roughly a third in those waters since March. "These areas seem to be important for feeding and socialising. So it's great that there's this refuge for them," added Brennan, a member of Porter's team. Image Credit: AFP
    6 of 14
    pink dolphins gallery
    The Pearl River Delta is one of the most industrialised coastal areas on Earth. As well as Hong Kong and Macao, it includes Chinese mainland megacities like Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Dongguan, and is home to some 22 million people. And aside from heavy shipping traffic, the dolphins' key habitat has been subjected to a host of large-scale developments, including the construction of Hong Kong's airport on reclaimed land and the world's longest sea bridge connecting the financial hub to Macau and Zhuhai. Image Credit: AFP
    7 of 14
    pink dolphins gallery
    A huge new reclamation project is also underway to build a third runway for the city's airport. According to the WWF, there are only an estimated 2,000 pink dolphins left in the Pearl River Delta - the minimum number that conservationists believe are needed to sustain the species'. Image Credit: AFP
    8 of 14
    pink dolphins gallery
    There is a palpable fear the delta's dolphins could go extinct under the population's current trajectory. "Dolphins, and especially these estuarine dolphins, have a slow birth rate, a slow growth rate, a slow reproductive rate," said Laurence McCook, head of oceans conservation at WWF-Hong Kong. "So they need very careful management." Image Credit: AFP
    9 of 14
    pink dolphins gallery
    The lack of ferries is a welcome, but potentially brief, respite for the dolphins. Noise from vessels disturbs mammals that rely on underwater sound for navigation and communication. The ships also pose the physical threat of striking the creatures, injuring and even killing them. Image Credit: AFP
    10 of 14
    pink dolphins gallery
    The rugged southern coastline of Hong Kong's outlying Lantau island provides shelter from typhoons and predators for the dolphins. But it is also where the ferries between Macau and the financial hub travel. Image Credit: AFP
    11 of 14
    pink dolphins gallery
    Conservationists are campaigning to expand an existing marine park to better protect the vulnerable species. "We've now identified a habitat that could then be reclaimed by them and could really be used to support their population," said Brennan, who believes recent findings could provide an opportunity for conservationists to "turn the tide" for the vulnerable dolphin population. "The fact that we've seen such a dramatic change, though still early days, from just one of those impacts going away is a really positive shift." Image Credit: AFP
    12 of 14
    pink dolphins gallery
    But WWF's McCook warns time is running out for the dolphins. "They're an icon of the area," he said. "They're a part of Cantonese heritage. They've been around here for millennia. It would be a global tragedy to lose this iconic creature from the future of the Greater Bay Area." Image Credit: AFP
    13 of 14
    pink dolphins gallery
    A student looks out for Chinese white dolphins, also known locally as 'pink dolphins', in the waters off the coast between Hong Kong and Macau. Image Credit: AFP
    14 of 14
    pink dolphins gallery
    A Chinese white dolphin, also known locally as 'pink dolphin', swimming in the waters off the coast of Hong Kong. Image Credit: AFP

    Trending

    • Photos: Desert safaris return to Sharjah

      Photos: Desert safaris return to Sharjah


    • Pictures: Monster fog envelops Dubai and UAE

      Pictures: Monster fog envelops Dubai and UAE


    • Dense fog: Readers' pictures from Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman

      Dense fog: Readers' pictures from Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman


    • Gulf leaders arrive at AlUla ahead of 41st GCC summit

      Gulf leaders arrive at AlUla ahead of 41st GCC summit


    • In photos: UAE rolls out free vaccination drive

      In photos: UAE rolls out free vaccination drive


    • Egypt, UAE resume first Qatar flights since 2017

      Egypt, UAE resume first Qatar flights since 2017

    Latest In

    • Germany extends partial lockdown to mid-February

      6 minutes ago

    • COVID-19: US passes 400,000 coronavirus deaths

      1 hour ago

    • Desperate search for oxygen in Brazil's Manaus


    • Putin takes icy plunge to mark Orthodox Epiphany


    • Saudi Arabia: Civil aviation sector to be localised


    Go back to top
    Network links:
    • Baby & Child
    • Friday
    • Inside Out
    • Watch Time
    • Wheels
    • getthat
    • GN Tech
    • Jobs
    • About Gulf News
    • Contact us
    • Work with us
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Gulf News store
    • Advertise with us
    • Reach by GN
    • GN Focus
    • Gulf News epaper
    • Sitemap
    • Have your say
    Find us on Social
    © Al Nisr Publishing LLC 2021. All rights reserved.
    This website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies are used to improve your experience and provide more personalized service to you. Both on your website and other media. To find out more about the cookies and data we use, please check out our Privacy Policy.
    Share on Facebook
    Share on Twitter
    Share on Whatsapp
    Share on Mail
    Share on LinkedIn
    Close
    Gulf News

    Get Breaking News Alerts From Gulf News

    We’ll send you latest news updates through the day. You can manage them any time by clicking on the notification icon.

    Subscribe No Thanks
    Continue reading Gulf News
    Dear Reader, please register to read gulfnews.com

    Dear Reader,

    This section is about Living in UAE and essential information you cannot live without.

    Register to read and get full access to gulfnews.com

    Create your account
    or login if you already have one
    First name is required.
    Last name is required.
    Please enter a valid email address.
    Password should have minimum 7 characters with at least one letter and number
    Passwords do not match

    By clicking below to sign up, you're agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

    Login your account
    New to Gulf News? Sign up now
    Please enter your email address.
    Please enter your password.

    Forgot password

    or