April 21 (Lunar calendar: March 2), 2023 Friday | Dawnxisoul393art
A series of "Hong Kong" and the ocean's most...
SM-3)
The most intelligent creature in the ocean, the dolphin
- From the pink dolphins in Hong Kong waters
Although the dolphins that are often found in Hong Kong waters are called white dolphins, they have a rare color, maiden pink. White dolphins have been found in Hong Kong harbor waters as early as the 17th century. The world's largest known group of white dolphins is located in the Pearl River estuary, including Hong Kong waters, where about 2,000 white dolphins are found at the junction of salt and fresh water. White dolphins are relatively long-lived among marine creatures, living up to 40 years old. White dolphins are herd animals, usually three to four white dolphins living together. In Hong Kong, white dolphins live in the western coastal waters of Hong Kong and frequent the waters of North Lantau, Sha Chau, Lung Kwu Chau Marine Park, Tai O, and the diversions of South Lantau. When white dolphins are young, their bodies are grayish-black or have gray spots. As dolphins move a lot, the microscopic blood vessels under the skin continue to dilate, giving them a white and red appearance, mistaking their skin for pink.
Young white dolphins learn the social skills that adult white dolphins must master by playing with other dolphins. White dolphins love to eat fish, and at least 20 different species of fish are their food, including lion heads, rockfish, and yellowtail. It is said that white dolphins found in Hong Kong waters like to gather behind fishing boats that are fishing, waiting to catch fishes that are missed by the nets. There are about 62 species of dolphins in the ocean. Dolphins are probably the most intelligent animals in the ocean. The brain of an adult dolphin weighs about 1.6 kilograms, accounting for 1.17% of the total weight, while the human brain weighs about 1.5 kilograms, accounting for 2.1% of the total weight. For many animals in shallow seas, humans know all about them. In the current human exploration of marine life, the creatures have a variety of characteristics, there are ferocious, but also mild. Among them, dolphins are a representative of gentle animals, and they seem to have an inexplicable affinity for humans.
A team of scientists from a British university, through a period of nearly 10 years of research, found an interesting fact, dolphins have similar personality traits and humans. Dolphins are "intelligent creatures" that live in the ocean. Although they are marine creatures, their ancestors are land animals, and they are also a member of mammals, just like humans. Dolphins are very similar to humans in both social and personality traits. The dolphins' unique contact whistle is equivalent to the call sound that humans make when they call each other by name. Dolphins use their distinctive whistles to stay in contact. They are also able to learn and repeat the whistles of other dolphins. When another dolphin imitates its own whistle, that dolphin responds, just as we respond when someone calls us by name. These calls allow this marine mammal to communicate over long distances.
There are many touching stories of dolphins helping people around the world. When a dolphin sees a drowning person floating on the sea, it will subconsciously prop up the drowning person and then slowly push him or her to the shore, so that the drowning person can be saved. Some people explain that dolphin rescue is actually dolphins practicing how to rescue their companions. Because dolphins are mammals, they live in the water but still need to use their lungs to breathe, so they themselves will occasionally drown. Fortunately, on the top of the dolphin's head, there is a breathing hole similar to that of a whale, and as long as the dolphin exposes its head to the water, it can be saved. Dolphins are very social animals, and when they find their companion drowning, they will hold it out of the water to breathe. According to this explanation, it seems that dolphins save people by nature, but most people still want to believe that dolphins saving people is their kind act of friendship with human beings.
Although Hong Kong is a "tiny place", it is rich in marine biodiversity. White dolphins are considered to be the mascot of Hong Kong and mainly inhabit the western waters of Hong Kong. Dolphins are highly intelligent animals with lovely forms and lively personalities. The Marine Mammal Monitoring Report 2020-2021 published by the AFCD last year pointed out that the number of Chinese white dolphins in Hong Kong waters is declining and the situation is worrying. In order to protect and conserve marine areas of special ecological and conservation value, the SAR Government has implemented the Marine Parks Scheme. There are currently six marine parks and one marine reserve in Hong Kong, covering an area of about 4,000 hectares. The South Lantau Marine Park designated by the SAR Government will be the seventh and largest marine park in Hong Kong, which will help protect the overall marine environment and marine life such as Chinese White Dolphins and Finless Porpoises in Hong Kong waters, and will increase the area of protected marine habitats in Hong Kong to about 6,117 hectares.
In the long run, these marine parks in Hong Kong will provide a better habitat for marine life and maintain marine biodiversity and sustainability. However, they face a number of threats, including overfishing, water pollution, heavy marine traffic, and coastal development have also damaged their habitat. Over the years, these factors have threatened the survival of white dolphins. Hong Kong was once a haven for over 100 Chinese white dolphins, but today only 61 remain in Hong Kong waters. Less than 2% of Hong Kong's waters are currently designated as marine protected areas. Expanding the area to 10% would better help white dolphins and other marine life by creating a quiet home for them, free from the nuisance of heavy marine traffic, reclamation projects, and commercial fishing activities. WWF-Hong Kong is working to urge the government to reestablish a more spacious, safe, and clean home for white dolphins in Hong Kong by including the western part of Lantau Island, which is currently unprotected as a marine reserve, as soon as possible.
Original by Dawnxisoul393
Comments
Post a Comment