Five Chinese white dolphins swim close to Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. (Photo/Video screenshot)
(ECNS) - Five Chinese white dolphins were spotted swimming close to Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge that opened on Tuesday.
Staff on a Guangdong Maritime Bureau patrol boat saw the rare dolphins near the eastern artificial island, part of the mega-bridge that straddles the Lingdingyang waters of the Pearl River Estuary, the largest habit for the Chinese white dolphin, nicknamed the "giant panda of the sea."
Great efforts have been made in controlling the ecological impact of the bridge, built near the nature reserve design for these endangered species, including an investment of 340 million yuan ($49 million).
Researchers tracked the species more than 300 times during the construction period, took over 300,000 photos, identified more than 1,000 Chinese white dolphins, and organized 29 training sessions for a total of 2,544 participants. The number of the bridge’s piers was reduced from 318 to 224 amid engineering efforts to protect the creatures.
According to Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Administration, no Chinese white dolphin died as a result of the bridge’s construction.
