Endangered dolphin seen swimming around NAPE

A video on social media showing a white dolphin swimming off the coast of the city’s NAPE district has been authenticated by the Marine and Water Bureau.
According to the bureau, the dolphin was indeed sighted, however they did not say whether the video was taken by an employee. They believe the dolphin is an Indo‑Pacific humpbacked dolphin, an endangered species that lives around the Pearl River Delta.
From their distant vantage point, the bureau’s officer that confirmed the sighting did not observe any visible wounds, nor was the dolphin tangled in a fishing net. It left the area after splashing in the water for a while, the bureau said.
Sightings of this species in that area are unusual, as it is a major marine route for ferries crossing the Pearl River Estuary. The water movements caused by the ships are disturbing for the species, if not injurious, said Ho Wai Tim, president of the Macau Ecological Society.
Ferry services in the region have been suspended for several months because of the coronavirus pandemic, leading to quieter waters.
On normal occasions, dolphins only swim to the south of Coloane or in the waters near the airport. “Normally, they aren’t seen near the Kun Iam Statue,” said Ho.
Last summer, two dead dolphins were found off the coast from Macau in the space of five days. Ho hopes the government will release the autopsy report and clarify what caused the dolphins’ deaths. AL