HAIKOU, February 26. /TASS/. Over 200 rare Chinese dolphins (Sousa chinensis) live in the waters of the southern Chinese province of Hainan. According to the "Hainan Daily", their flocks have recently been spotted several times southwest of the island province.

"The population of Chinese dolphins in the waters southwest of Hainan numbers more than 200 individuals," said Li Songhai, a researcher at the China Institute of Deep Sea Research and Engineering.

The species Sousa chinensis, which in Сhina is called the Chinese white sea dolphin, is on the list of rare animals protected at the highest state level. Hainan has the third largest population of this mammalian species in the country. According to scientists, most animals in China live in the water area of ​​Hong Kong (about 2-3,000), in the area of ​​the Pearl River mouth. Leizhou Bay, which washes the shores of the southern province of Guangdong, is in second place in terms of distribution of these dolphins.

The Chinese white sea dolphin, also known as the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, is dark gray at birth and changes to a light gray to light pink as it matures. The average length of an adult is 2-2.5 meters, and its weight is 200-250 kg.

In 2008, the International Union for Conservation of Nature classified the Chinese dolphin as a vulnerable species at risk of becoming endangered. In total, there are about 13,000 individuals of these marine animals in the world, about half of them live in the southern waters of China. Due to its small number in the Celestial Empire, the Chinese dolphin was given the nickname "sea panda".

Seven marine reserves of Chinese dolphins have been established in the country. In 2017, the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs published an action plan for 2017-2026 to protect this animal.