At the Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park, special personnel often provide exclusive body scrubbing services for marine mammals to help them remove dead skin or relive itch. Dolphins, beluga whales and killer whales are among the most cooperative.

"All dolphin family animals like body scrubbing because their skin secretes oily matter, just like human beings. Scrubbing helps relieve itch, as they can't touch their skin. Stroking and scrubbing is also a way of building mutual trust," said Tian Chengcheng, a killer whale carer at the park.

Scrubbing for manatees is not that easy, as they do not like to come out of water. Nurses need to dive to serve them with a big brush.

(Cover image via screenshot)

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at nature@cgtn.com.)