Chinese White Dolphin - Interesting facts

Dolphins are closely related to whales and porpoises, and all belong to the same group called the Cetaceans.

White or pink?

© Samson So
Chinese White Dolphin
© Samson So
Though it is usually called Chinese white dolphin, it is not really WHITE. Chinese white dolphin is grey and spotty when it is younger. Its spots would be faded and colour would be changed to pink when it grows older.

The species’ common names are: Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, Chinese white dolphin, pink dolphin; its species name is: Sousa chinensis.

How long does it live?

Chinese white dolphin has a long life expectancy of up to 40 years, though in Hong Kong most Chinese White Dolphins live into their 30s. Scientists who study the dolphin are able to work out its age by examining its teeth.

What's its favourite food?

© Third Institute of Oceanography
Chinese White Dolphin and fish
© Third Institute of Oceanography
Fish, fish, fish and more fish. It is not so fussy about the type, feeding on at least twenty different species including lion head fish Collichthys lucida, various croakers Johnius spp and anchovies Thryssa spp.

Party time!

A favourite trick that Chinese white dolphin has to catch fish is gathering behind fishing vessels and scooping up the fish that drop off the back – it's so much easier than going out and catching the fish itself!

However, does it also imply that it is not easy to find fish in an open sea because of over-fishing by human?

Good peer support!

© South Chinese Sea Fisheries Research Institute
Chinese White Dolphin
© South Chinese Sea Fisheries Research Institute
Chinese white dolphin is a very sociable animal. It usually spends time in small groups of about 4. The baby calf learns a lot by playing with the group mates. By doing so, it can pick up the necessary social skills for adulthood.
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