Hong Kong’s pink dolphins return as pandemic slows maritime traffic

Rare pink dolphins are returning to the waters between Hong Kong and Macau after the coronavirus pandemic brought shuttles to a halt, but scientists remain deeply concerned about their long-term survival on one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

The telltale flash of rose leaping out of the water alerts Naomi Brennan to the presence of a local Chinese white dolphin and notes the animal’s location on a GPS device.

Conservationists like Brennan regularly board boats in the Pearl River Delta to document how mammals, known for their striking pink color, fare.

“Today we meet three different groups of dolphins: six adults and two sub-adults,” he explained. “They were engaging in a variety of behaviors, from eating to traveling to socializing.”

For years, keeping an eye on dolphins has been a daunting task.

The population has fallen between 70 and 80 percent in the last 15 years in what is one of the most industrialized estuaries in the world.

But this year their numbers have recovered, and they have the pandemic to thank.

Ferries between Hong Kong and Macau have been suspended since February, giving local marine scientists the opportunity to study how mammals have adapted to the “unprecedented tranquility.”

“We’re seeing much larger group sizes, as well as much more socializing mating behavior, that we haven’t really seen in the last five years,” said Hong Kong-based marine scientist Dr. Lindsay Porter.

According to Porter’s research team, the number of pink dolphins has increased by about a third in those waters since March.

“These areas seem to be important for food and socialization. So it’s great that there is a haven for them, ”added Brennan, a member of Porter’s team.

Megacities and maritime transport

The Pearl River Delta is one of the most industrialized coastal areas on Earth. In addition to Hong Kong and Macao, it includes mainland Chinese megacities such as Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Dongguan, and is home to some 22 million people.

In addition to heavy maritime traffic, key dolphin habitat has been the subject of a number of large-scale developments, including the construction of the Hong Kong airport on reclaimed land and the world’s longest sea bridge connecting the financial center to Macau. and Zhuhai.

A huge reclamation project is also underway to build a third runway for the city’s airport.

According to WWF, there are an estimated only 2,000 pink dolphins left in the Pearl River Delta, the minimum number that conservationists believe are needed to support the species.

There is a palpable fear that the delta dolphins will become extinct under the current population 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 ocean conservation at WWF-Hong Kong.

“That’s why they need very careful management.”

Cantonese heritage

The lack of ferries is a welcome respite for dolphins, but potentially brief.

Ship noise disturbs mammals that depend on underwater sound for navigation and communication.

The ships also pose the physical threat of hitting the creatures, injuring them, and even killing them.

The rugged south coast of Hong Kong’s outlying Lantau Island offers dolphins refuge from typhoons and predators.

But it is also where the ferries travel between Macau and the financial center.

Conservationists are campaigning to expand an existing marine park to better protect vulnerable species.

“We have now identified a habitat that could then be reclaimed by them and that could actually be used to support their population,” said Brennan, who believes the recent findings could provide an opportunity for conservationists to “turn the tide” on the population. vulnerable of dolphins. .

“The fact that we’ve seen such a dramatic change, albeit still in the early days, since one of those shocks wore off is a really positive change.

But WWF’s McCook warns that time is running out for dolphins.

“They are an icon of the area,” he said. “They are part of the Cantonese heritage. They have been around for millennia. “

“It would be a global tragedy to lose this iconic creature of the future from the Greater Bay Area.” IB

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