Sighting of second whale in Hong Kong waters sparks search, after death of mammal in July sparked public outcry
- Ocean Park says whale seen again briefly in evening; police earlier lost track of animal in Deep Water Bay before experts could arrive
- Sighting comes after death in July of male juvenile Bryde’s whale that caught public eye and prompted discussions on government’s protection strategies
Marine police were searching for a whale spotted in Hong Kong’s southern waters on Monday morning and could consider turning away sightseers if it reappeared, sources said, after an outcry following the death of a mammal sighted in July.
A source familiar with the case said the sighting of the whale, which was initially mistaken for an injured dolphin, in Deep Water Bay was reported to police soon after 9am.
Marine police were subsequently dispatched to the area. Experts at Ocean Park and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department were also notified.
Hong Kong’s white dolphins, porpoises ‘face same threats as visiting Bryde’s whale’
The source said officers had spotted the whale, but lost track of it when it dived deeper before experts arrived.
Police said experts had consulted footage and images circulating online and believed the animal was a whale.
The source said the force had also notified the Marine Department, which provides information to ship captains navigating local waters. Police boats and Marine Department vessels were patrolling the area in a bid to locate the whale.
The source said marine police could consider guarding the area if the mammal reappeared and turning away whale-watchers if necessary.
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said the whale was spotted again near Southern district in the evening.
Ocean Park, which also helped with the search, said the animal was sighted above water briefly at around 6pm in Sham Shui Kok with the help of a helicopter from the Government Flying Service, before it disappeared again after a few minutes. The park said its search team would continue to try locate the whale.
Authorities discouraged residents from approaching or attempting to chase down the whale, and promised to take action against those who refused to cooperate.
“If residents see the whale when they are out at sea, they must keep a minimum distance of 100 metres and steer away at slow speed, or else authorities might take action,” the department said.
Authorities said they would continue to patrol the nearby waters to determine the position, species and health condition of the whale.
Under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance, irresponsible whale-watching can be considered intentionally disturbing protected animals. Violators will be fined a maximum of HK$100,000 and a one-year jail term.
02:19
Hong Kong buries Bryde’s whale found dead after days feeding off Hong Kong waters
Taison Chang Ka-tai, chairman of the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society, said the mammal could be a dwarf sperm whale or pygmy sperm whale. But clearer footage was needed to better determine the species.
Chang said it was not common to see either species in Hong Kong as they were oceanic animals and preferred more open waters.
“They seldom swim to Hong Kong waters that are close to shore. So it is rare to see them,” Chang said.
He said the whale could be following prey or suffering from health issues and navigation problems. The recent typhoon could also have prompted the animal to seek refuge closer to shore, or affected the seas and brought the whale in, Chang said.
Hong Kong buries dead whale earlier spotted alive in city’s waters
The sighting of a male juvenile Bryde’s whale measuring more than eight metres (26 feet) in length on July 13 sparked a rush of residents heading to waters near Sai Kung to get a look at the mammal.
The incident triggered a public outcry over the whale-watching activities and prompted discussions about the effectiveness of government strategies to protect the mammal.
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said the animal’s carcass would be sent to researchers at Ocean Park once it had naturally decayed.
