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Shenzhen sets up temporary protection area for a Bryde's whale
CGTN
02:34

A temporary protection area was set up for a Bryde's whale in Shenzhen City, south China's Guangdong Province, local authorities said Wednesday.

This Bryde's whale, nicknamed Xiao Bu, was first spotted in Dapeng Bay off Shenzhen on June 29. It has been lingering in waters there for over 50 days. 

Professor Chen Bingyao, an expert in cetacean studies from Nanjing Normal University, has stayed here for over a month to observe Xiao Bu's activities. Chen said that Xiao Bu initially appeared near the Guanhu Beach, but it has moved westwards to Yantian Port recently.

The temporary protection area, which was set up according to its home range, currently covers 64 square kilometers in Dapeng Bay and is subject to change based on the whale's activities, according to Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Ocean and Fishery. 

Yachts, recreational and tourism vessels, motorboats, and sailboards are banned in the area, and fishing boats are prohibited from fishing in it even when the fishing moratorium ended on August 18. Ships passing the area are asked to sail at a low speed and take precautions to avoid the whale.

The restrictive measures for the temporary protection area will be effective until the whale leaves the waters off Shenzhen. For now, Xiao Bu can enjoy its 'foodie' life undisturbed by humans.

Bryde's whales are marked by three longitudinal ridges that extend from their blowholes. Like other baleen whales, they have two rows of baleen plates instead of teeth to eat fish. 

For more:

A Bryde's whale with a good appetite visits S China's Shenzhen

(Cover image and video provided by Chen Bingyao's research team. Video edited by CGTN's Zhao Ying. With input from Xinhua. )

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