A photography enthusiast identified as Mr Su recently took photographs of a dozen Chinese white dolphins in sea areas near Zhuhai (Jinwan) Airport.

The Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins swam and jumped in pairs or small pods, according to Mr Su. He had previously taken photos of the species at major estuaries, including the Modaomen and Jitimen waterways in Jinwan District.

Also known as the Mermaids and Giant Pandas of the Sea, Chinese white dolphins are an endangered species under national first-class protection. Their population has been declining due to overfishing, marine pollution, collisions with vessels, and offshore operations that obstruct their biological sonar.

Chinese white dolphins [Photo provided to WeChat account: zhuhaijinwan]

The mammals live mainly in tropical and subtropical seas. The Pearl River Estuary (PRE) is home to the largest population. A 460-sqkm (178-sq-mile) PRE Chinese White Dolphin National Nature Reserve was established between Shenzhen's Neilingding and Zhuhai's Niutou islands in 2003 with an administration base on Qi'ao Island in Tangjiawan, Xiangzhou District.

Characterized by skin that lightens with maturity, the Chinese white dolphin is dark gray in childhood, pink with black spots in early adulthood, and white as a matured adult.

In recent years, Jinwan's ecological environment has been vastly improved with the crackdown on illegal nearshore fishing and restoration of wetland parks and has since attracted an increasing number of migratory birds.

A nationally protected, black-faced spoonbill was spotted last spring near Jinhu Park wetlands on the southwest bank of the Niwanmen Waterway. The species has a global population of 4,864 and is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Endangered.

In addition, second-class protected animals in China's Catalogue of Wildlife under State Key Protection, such as yellow-billed egrets, little curlews, and greater coucals, have also been sighted in Jinwan.