You will never see a unicorn or a pink elephant but you can see a pink dolphin in Hong Kong
Updated May 2023
Unicorns, Pink Elephants and Mermaids
Have you ever seen a pink dolphin? No, but I once saw some pink elephants in a marching band after a big party!
Unicorns, mermaids and pink elephants don’t exist, but pink dolphins do. I had never seen nor heard of them until I went to Hong Kong. I heard about them then and wanted to see them. I thought that my chances of seeing them were probably slim, but it turned out that they are quite easy to find.
The pink dolphins are named the Chinese White Dolphin in Asia, although the colour varies from grey to white, to pale pink, to bright pink. They inhabit the South China Sea from China to Australia, but the ones near Australia are grey. Only the ones near Hong Kong are bright pink. They are known in other countries as the Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin or the Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin.
Where to see Pink Dolphins
If you want to see them, make your way to Hong Kong and then take a bus to Lantau Island. It is just a short walk from the bus stop to the coast. There you can ask for someone with a boat to take you out to see the dolphins. They can be seen just a few kilometres offshore. It is quite inexpensive but is only a very short trip. If you want to go on a four-hour dolphin-watching trip where you will get a close-up look at them, contact the Hong Kong Dolphin Watch
($560 HK dollars, which is about $100 Cdn or 72 US). (prices updated as of May 2023.)
Population in Decline
Unfortunately, like so many animals worldwide, the number of Chinese White Dolphins is in decline. Their conservation status is “vulnerable”, which means they are subject to extinction if nothing is done to protect them. The population of pink dolphins off the coast of Hong Kong has shrunk from 159 in 2003 to just 61 at the last count. Pollution, plastic consumption, heavy boat traffic entanglement with fishing equipment and land reclamation are the leading causes. Half of the calves die from toxins in the mother’s milk. The future of pink dolphins in Hong Kong harbour is not rosy.
These photos were taken by Ken Fung and used here with the kind permission of Hong Kong Dolphinwatch Ltd. I have some of my own, but Mr Fung’s photos are much better than mine. Getting great pictures like these take time. I was only there for a few hours.
© Ken Fung, Hong Kong Dolphinwatch