Uplifting1 min(s) read
Published 16:27 18 Sep 2020 GMT
A rare type of dolphin has reportedly returned to the waters of Hong Kong after ferry crossings were halted as a result of the ongoing pandemic.
Per The Guardian, Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, also known as 'Chinese white dolphins' and 'pink dolphins', have typically avoided the waters between Hong Kong and Macau due to the number of high-speed boats and ferries in operation there.
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However, experts claim that the local dolphin population has risen by 30% since March due to the drastic reduction of water traffic, including the suspension of ferries, caused by the global coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking to The Guardian, St Andrews University senior research associate Dr Lindsay Porter said that she first noticed the increase in the numbers of dolphins when conducting routine surveys soon after Hong Kong had closed its borders, stating:
"It was the last week in February, literally the week after the ferries stopped travelling between Hong Kong and Macau.
"I’ve been studying these dolphins since 1993 and I’ve never seen anything like this dramatic change before, and the only thing that changed is 200 ferries stopped travelling before."
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Dr. Porter also added that the newfound lack of human interference has led to the animals getting a little bit, ahem, frisky. Porter continued:
"From visual observations the dolphins are spending much more time socialising, splashing around on the surface, quite a bit of foreplay, quite a bit of sex.
"Hong Kong dolphins normally live on the edges, they’re stressed, they spend their time eating and resting. So to see them playing […] to see them having a good time, that was really great to see."
Hong Kong pedestrians and bystanders have since taken to Twitter to celebrate the good news about the dolphins, with some even sharing footage of the animals in their habitat.
For instance, one Twitter-user stated:
"The pink dolphins have returned to Hong Kong waters after the COVID shutdown of the harbor. Maybe humans staying in their own lane isn't so bad after all."
Only time will tell whether coronavirus restrictions will lead to a lasting change for endangered species around the world, or if the crisis is nothing more than a figurative drop in the ocean for environmental issues.
