What do you know about "whales", starting with **? Is it a popular science book, a film documentary, or a fairy tale or a mythological story? Recently, a "High Cuteness Ahead! The dolphins are here again! A pod of dolphins appeared in the waters of Pingtan Sea! The ** of "has attracted social attention on the Internet and sparked heated discussions.
High cuteness ahead! The dolphins are here again! A pod of dolphins appeared in the waters of Pingtan Sea! ** screenshot of ".
It turned out that on the morning of February 20, some fishermen photographed cetaceans and dolphins "dancing" in the sea in the sea area of Nanpan Village, Pingtan Province. The small black dots that are agile follow the rhythm, haunting the sea and the sky one after another. Sometimes they get into the bow of the ship and surf in the waves; Sometimes chasing and playing around the fishing boats, it is not lively.
It can also be seen from the title of this ** that this is not the "first time" for these lovely marine creatures to visit Pingtan . In recent years, incidents such as "cetaceans and dolphins in Pingtan waters" and "cetaceans stranded on Pingtan beach" are not uncommon, and various positive news such as the marine fishing detachment of the experimental area, the Pingtan Coast Guard, the Pingtan Blue Sky Rescue Team and enthusiastic citizens have cooperated with each other to jointly rescue stranded cetaceans and dolphins, which have also attracted attention.
Why do cetaceans and dolphins frequently "favor" Pingtan? What cetaceans are currently known in Pingtan City? How to scientifically rescue stranded cetaceans? The reporter interviewed Zeng Qianhui, an expert who has participated in the research, popularization of science and protection of cetaceans and dolphins in Pingtan waters for many years, to answer readers' questions.
Cetaceans are often seen Experts share conservation knowledge
The study of cetaceans is a work that requires long-term accumulation. "Her love for cetaceans has made Zeng Qianhui run on the front line of cetacean rescue all year round. In the investigation and research, Zeng Qianhui and her partners found that in recent years, there are often cetaceans in the waters of Pingtan and there are often cetaceans stranded on the beaches of Pingtan all over the country.
After the "dolphin group appeared in the Pingtan sea area" appeared on the Internet, it aroused discussion and attention from all walks of life. "As can be seen from the **, these animals are small in size, but have a towering dorsal fin, which, in combination with behavior, are animals of the dolphin family. Zeng Qianhui told reporters that most of the smaller porpoises found in the waters of Pingtan in recent years include the wide-ridged Indo-Pacific finless porpoise and the narrow-ridged East Asian finless porpoise, which are small toothed whales without towering dorsal fins. **The current dolphin family is relatively accidental.
Either way, they belong to the group of cetaceans. Zeng Qianhui told reporters that the whales or dolphins we often talk about are not fish, but marine mammals, and scientists usually call them cetaceans or cetaceans.
Among marine life, cetaceans are very intelligent and mysterious animals. If you look closely at this passage on the Internet, you can find that these dolphins surround the fishing boat, showing a state of "interaction" with humans at close range.
Cetaceans are all personalities, and if they are curious about you, they may be able to get close to your boat. The degree of intimacy with which they interact with humans can also reflect the level of pressure on their survival. In Zeng's view, "Dolphins are very intelligent mammals, and they can feel that the fishing boat has no intention of harming them, so they dare to approach the fishing boat." ”
In her work, she observed that dolphins in some waters avoid boats and have less close contact with humans, and the reason for this is often that there are many boats and loud noise in the surrounding waters of the area, so the dolphins are under great pressure to survive, and they are less likely to interact with people. If there are dolphins willing to swim around the side of the boat, or jump up to "say hello" to people, and some dolphins even surf the bow, it means that these dolphins are in a more relaxed state.
In the process of going out to sea, if you encounter cetaceans and dolphins, how to watch whales and dolphins, so as to have the least impact on these marine creatures? "If you encounter a cetacean at sea, try not to disturb them. Don't speed up to drive the boat to chase after it, don't make a loud noise, because there is a risk of hitting or scaring them, you can observe from a distance, or stop the engine, pay attention to safety, and let the boat drift to see if the animal is willing to take the initiative to approach. In the wild, they are in the sea, they are the masters, and it is very important that our ships treat them and respect them as guests. Zeng Qianhui said.
On the other hand, the public should pay attention to the impact of marine pollution on marine animals. Zeng Qianhui mentioned that when she dissected the stranded cetacean carcass, she found that some cetaceans had indigestible plastic waste in their stomachs. "They don't chew when they eat, and they may eat plastic waste into their stomachs like octopus, squid, etc. Therefore, we advocate that everyone use as little disposable plastic products as possible that are difficult to degrade, and this kind of behavior and awareness improvement is to protect cetaceans. ”
Cetaceans are rich in species 17 species are found in the waters of Pingtan Sea
Zeng Qianhui showed reporters a poster of "Cetaceans in Pingtan Dolphins" drawn based on recorded information such as stranding and bycatch in Pingtan waters since 2010. According to **, there are 17 species of cetaceans and dolphins in the waters of Pingtan Sea, including fin whales, large village whales and gray whales with huge and slender bodies, as well as small killer whales and melon-headed whales with small bodies and cute little killer whales.
The scope of our research is limited, but it is certain that there are more than these cetacean species that have been present in the waters of Pingtan waters. Zeng Qianhui said.
Why do cetaceans "favor" the waters of Pingtan Sea? According to Zeng Qianhui, Pingtan has a special geographical location, and its closest distance from the island of Taiwan is only 68 nautical miles. This location happens to be in the northern part of the Taiwan Strait, and the waters are very deep. In the deep water, there may be some deep-diving cetaceans passing by, so the species of cetaceans and dolphins appearing in the waters of Pingtan are relatively abundant.
In addition, there is a positive correlation between the species and number of cetaceans and local fishery resources. In the sea area with developed fishery resources, it is generally rich in nutrients where the cold and warm currents meet, which will attract many fish to feed. Schools of fish attract cetaceans and dolphins, such as the famous fishing grounds near Niushan Island in Pingtan and the occasional large pod of dolphins, which may have passed by during their migration.
There are more cases of cetacean stranding in Pingtan than in other seas in Fujian, and the species is dominated by East Asian finless porpoises (that is, 'sea pigs' often referred to by Pingtan people). Zeng Qianhui said. According to incomplete statistics, since 2011, there have been at least 10 cetacean strandings in Tianmeiao, Longwangtou, Yangtze River, Qingfeng Village and other places in Pingtan City.
Why do cetaceans strand? What can we do for stranded cetaceans when they encounter them? Zeng Qianhui said that in addition to some accidental stranding caused by human activities, natural factors also exist. The water in the waters of Pingtan is turbulent, and some cetaceans and dolphins are weak and have poor mobility due to their own health, aging and other problems, or get lost, affected by typhoons and many other reasons, and may be hit to the bay with the waves, causing the live to run aground. Some are stranded after death. "The beach of Longwangtou in Pingtan is wide and flat, and once the cetacean is stranded here, it is difficult to return to the sea on its own initiative. Zeng Qianhui said.
She mentioned that if the public finds the cetacean stranded on the beach in Pingtan Sea, they should notify the Marine and Fishery Law Enforcement Detachment of the Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone (which can also be reflected through 12345**) to deal with it. "The cetaceans and dolphins in the waters of Pingtan are all key protected wild animals above the second level in China, and they need to be reported regardless of whether they are found alive or carcass, and they must not be harmed, killed or picked up and disposed of by themselves, which are all illegal. ”
Tsang stressed that in the absence of on-site assessment by professionals, do not push cetaceans directly back to the sea; Before the arrival of the professional rescue team, the cetacean body can be straightened, pay attention to avoid water in the nostrils on the top of the head, and at the same time, the cetacean body can be kept moist by watering, waiting for the rescuers to arrive at the scene for professional treatment.
Expert business cards
Zeng Qianhui, born in Gulangyu, Xiamen, is a cetacean research and science popularization worker at the Third Institute of Oceanography of the Ministry of Natural Resources, and an excellent answerer in the field of marine biology in Zhihu. In order to study and protect the cetaceans off the coast of China, she has sailed and participated in the dissection of many cetacean carcasses, ranging from juvenile East Asian finless porpoises to sperm whales with babies.
Two years ago, Tsang Qianhui held a lecture on "Cetaceans in Pingtan and How to Save Stranded Cetaceans" in Pingtan Hunan Village, which attracted many environmentalists. A few days ago, she summarized the practical experience of participating in cetacean conservation research in Pingtan and Xiamen, and co-edited the book "Technical Guide for the Rescue of China's Marine Endangered Species (Cetaceans and Sea Turtles)" with other science popularization workers, which has also been officially published. (Author: Chen Lanqing).
*: Pingtan Net.