Rare dolphins surviving despite pollution concerns

The number of Chinese White Dolphins is increasing in south China's sea waters despite concerns that industrial pollution was threatening the endangered animal, research has said.

Investigations jointly conducted by China's State Oceanic Administration and the Science and Technology Department of the southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region found dolphin numbers have been growing in the Beibu Gulf of the South China Sea.

The number of the Chinese White Dolphins near Qinzhou Port's Sanniang Bay in the region has increased to nearly 140, from 98 in August 2004, the research said.

The ecological chain of the humpback creatures, which falls under China's first-class animal protection category, has remained complete, according to the research.

The results come amid environmentalists' concerns that the fast industrial development in the region may have polluted the sea water and endangered the dolphins, which are sensitive to water quality.

But the research indicated that the water quality of the Beibu Gulf has remained of a high standard due to the local government's strict environmental policy and pollution supervision.

The dolphins are dubbed the "giant pandas in the sea" because of their rarity.

Animal experts believed that the number of the dolphins in south China's Pearl River Estuary, one of its major habitat, is no more than 1,000.