Odd-colored CETACEAN of the western Pacific
Ocean.
Variant name: Chinese white dolphin.
Physical description: Juveniles are born black,
then turn light gray as they get older. Adults are
whitish pink, with gray spots or patches. The
dorsal fin is slightly larger in this variety, though
it lacks the pronounced hump of the African
populations.
Distribution: Zhu Jiang River estuary between
Hong Kong and Macau, China.
Present status: Known as long ago as A.D.
618–907 in Tang Dynasty poetry. About
100–200 Pink dolphins are found in Hong
Kong waters; as many as 1,000 are estimated to
live in the entire estuary.
Probable explanation: Definitely a local color
variation of the Indo-Pacific hump-backed dolphin
(Sousa chinensis), found in coastal waters
from South Africa to eastern Australia. The reason
for its light coloration is unknown.