A news report about Yang He, who has been photographing the endangered Yangtze finless porpoises for over five years in central China's Hubei Province, made the headlines on the UN News website (Chinese version) on Tuesday.

Who is Yang He? Why did he take photos of the porpoises? What happened between them and him?

"I'm a porpoise photographer"

"If anyone asks what I do, I'll say I'm a porpoise photographer," Yang told CGTN's reporter Morag Hobbs during a 2022 interview.

As a resident of Hubei's Yichang City, 64-year-old Yang has observed and captured the changes in the porpoise population with his lenses after retirement. This shutterbug has taken over 100,000 vivid photos of the endangered species in the past six years.

"It's to do with my childhood memories. When we were little, we often saw a lot of porpoises. They would follow the boats. Boats were rare at that time. They would swim along side and jump out of the water from time to time," Yang said on the reason why he started taking photos of the animal.

As human activity increased, finless porpoises became rare along the Yichang section of the river.

In 2017, Yang was fortunate enough to spot a finless porpoise after a long gap and take a photo of it. By 2019, he was able to snap even more photos, including images of the porpoises skillfully catching fish and bathing near swimmers by the riverbank.

"This is a distinctive sight in Yichang and serves as evidence of the improved ecological environment in the Yangtze River basin," Yang said.

For more

'Eyes Over Hubei': The return of the Yangtze finless porpoise

Thanks to his camera, he once discovered and rescued a porpoise whose tail became entangled with a rope on February 9, 2022, and he dubbed the porpoise "209" after the date.

To save the trapped porpoise, the local fishery officials issued an emergency order requesting the suspension of sailing for all cargo ships nearby immediately after being informed of the situation.

Fortunately, they saved the porpoise. Months later, Yang spotted "209" with the scars around her tail jumping out of the water, and he managed to capture her in a photo. He was pleasantly surprised to find that "209" was pregnant. Later, it gave birth to a calf. Yang named the calf "429" as he photographed it on April 29.

"I will continue to capture their beauty as long as I am able to hold a camera and keep a vigilant eye on them," Yang said, adding that he will make it his life's mission to document this remarkable creature.

Population of the Yangtze finless porpoise 

The Yangtze finless porpoise, under top-level national protection in China, is endemic to the Yangtze River in the country. People call it a "smiling angel" because its snout is shaped like a grin.

The species has been in a gradual decline, from about 2,500 in 1991 to 1,012 in 2017, according to the results of a previous survey conducted by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. This is attributed to various factors like unselected and increased fishing, vessel strikes, and habitat deterioration and degradation.

However, the situation has changed as multiple measures have been taken to protect the species and preserve the ecosystem in the river.

In 2022, the fourth Yangtze finless porpoise scientific expedition led by the ministry showed that the population of the species has now increased to 1,249, marking a rise of 23.4 percent.

For more

Yangtze finless porpoise population exceeds 1,200 in China

The Great Protection of the Yangtze River

In 2016, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at a meeting that restoring the ecological environment of the Yangtze River should be "an overwhelming task," and no large-scale development should be allowed along the river for a long period in the future.

Back in 2018, nearly 65 percent of the banks along the river were protected by relocating the chemical plants and demolishing unqualified sewage pipes, for example.

To further preserve the ecosystem of the Yangtze basin and recover the population of various fish species, China launched a ten-year fishing ban in the Yangtze River, which began on January 1, 2021. The Yangtze finless porpoise will benefit from this measure as it feeds on other types of fish.

On March 1, 2021, the Yangtze River Protection Law officially went into effect, with the aim of protecting China's longest river, strengthening the ecological protection and restoration of the Yangtze River Basin, promoting the rational and efficient use of resources, ensuring ecological safety, and realizing the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature.

The river section in Yichang is now seeing a surge in environmental efforts and visitors to watch these animals. Today, pods of these captivating creatures can once again be observed leaping above the water's surface, allowing enthusiastic shutterbugs and local residents to marvel at their beauty.

For more

How to save the finless porpoise – the 'Smiling Angel of the Yangtze'

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