in the sea is able to organize itself as well as the Chinese White Dolphin.

Raising the awareness of dolphin protection

Living in waters along the coast, the White Dolphins always meet a large amount of ship and fishing industry traffic. Their living habitat in Hong Kong, for example, features busy transport ships, so is far from being an ideal place for them to live.

The White Dolphins under water depend mainly on their sonar system to catch fish, communicate with other dolphins, and judge their surrounding situations. However, they are easily interfered with by various noise pollutions, including modern transport ships that also make use of sonar systems to direct them. Therefore, the White Dolphins are often misled by various noises, and are often found stranded on the sandbank in recent years.

Fishers catching fish in the sea makes it difficult for the white dolphins to look for food. "Both the people and the dolphins are eating from a same bowl," Lindsay remarked vividly.

Many activities on the earth also have impacts for the sea, warned Andy. "Constructions of the Disney theme park, the tunnel under the sea and the new airport in Hong Kong, have all affected the living habitat of the dolphins." For instance, the construction of the new airport requires drilling on the seabed, which will produce a tremendous sound and disable the sonar system of the dolphins.

To protect the species, the WWF made some suggestions for the developers in the area. Lindsay suggested the builders make a plastic tube to surround the worksite, thus to channel the vibratory force above the sea through the tube. The effort will reduce 80 percent of the quivery sound. The suggestion was adopted.

As a biologist, Lindsay doesn't think it is necessary for her to consider economic issues such as costs. However, according to Andy, what they suggested for the developers and the local governments are often practical to operate. He noted that the relationship between development and protection should not be "either this or that." "There is sure a resolution in between," said the director.

To raise Hong Kong citizen's awareness of protecting the endangered species, the WWF also offers suggestions to tourism institutions that organize dolphin-watching activities. Currently, 80 percent of Hong Kong people in all walks of life acknowledged the importance of the dolphins' protection, according to the director.

In the view of Lindsay, Sanniangwan, in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, will be a hope to protect the endangered dolphins. The reason is that the area, different from Hong Kong, enjoys a sound environment with no high density of transportation ships. The dolphins here are fond of tracing fishing boats to find food easily.

In recent years, the dolphin-watching program has been introduced to Sanniangwan, the only place in China's mainland to conduct such an activity. "Dolphins in other places are not as large as those here, and the environment here is better than other places," explained the biologist.

In 2006, the WWF helped the Sanniangwan Tourist Organization make a 'Rules on Watching Dolphins'. The regulations, in addition to giving some suggestions for operation of transportation ships, make some stipulations for dolphin watchers.

Visitors are advised not to shout at or chase after dolphins, or they would swim away in fear. Lindsay hopes visitors, after watching the endangered animals, realize the importance to protect the sea environment, and are aware of the dangers that the species are facing.

Brief introduction

The Chinese White Dolphins, belonging to cetacean species in the category of the animal community, is a creature of the dolphin family, and is also called the Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin. Known as "aquatic panda," the white dolphins are also worshiped as Mazu, Goddess of the sea, by fishing people in Guangdong and Fujian provinces, and Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao. The dolphins were put under the first-class protection of the state in 1988, and appointed as the mascot when the sovereignty of Hong Kong returned to China in 1997. An infant dolphin is born after 11 months to one year of mating, and a female will give birth every three or four years. Female dolphins need 10 years, and males need 13 years, to become mature. Their life span is about 40 years.

(Source: China Business News)