Saving Taiwan Humpback Dolphin

The introduction in "Save the Taiwan Humpback Dolphin: The Taiwan Humpback Dolphins

Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis), locally known as “Matsu’s Fish” is grey when born, develops grey-blue freckles during its youth, and turns white or pink when fully mature, hence its other popular names in Mandarin Chinese meaning "white dolphin" or “pink dolphin”. Local people from fishing villages have named the animal after Matsu, the Sea Goddess, perhaps as result of seeing the humpback dolphins most often around Matsu's birthday in March/April when the seas return to a calmer state. Populations of this species can be found in the temperate and tropical waters off the Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean, and their preferred habitats are transition areas close to shore, particularly estuarine waters.

A small and highly dedicated research team called FormosaCetus Research & Conservation Group have found that the animals living along Taiwan's west coast are an isolated, resident population with distinct colour patterns from humpback dolphins elsewhere and are likely a distinct subspecies. They are already legally protected under Taiwan's Wildlife Conservation Act, but that hasn't prevented the ongoing destruction of their habitat, and just last year they were listed as "Critically Endangered" under the IUCN Red List. There are now estimated to be less than one hundred left in the population, and there is a high likelihood that Taiwan's entire population will become extinct if real efforts are not made to mitigate or reduce the threats to their survival.


Taiwan's critically endangered pink dolphins in 2010, by Christina MacFarquhar of Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association
For more information, please write to: comment@wildatheart.org.tw or visit our websites: MFCU (English), MFCU (Mandarin)

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