Shenzhen sets up temporary protection zone for Bryde’s whale swimming off the southern Chinese coast
- The whale has been hovering in the nearby waters for almost two months
- It has caught the public’s imagination with news reports and social media pictures and videos circulating
The zone, which will be effective from this week until the whale leaves, covers 64 square kilometres in Dapeng Bay, close to the Dapeng district in Shenzhen and is subject to change based on the whale’s movements, according to an official notice from the Administration of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Shenzhen.
During this time, yachts, recreational and tourism vessels, motorboats and sailboards will not be allowed inside the zone, fishing boats will be prohibited from operating in the area. Engineering ships, oil tankers and container boats that pass by the area must sail at a low speed and look out for the whale in advance, it said.
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Guardians of the Bryde's whales off south China’s Weizhou Island
“The fishery bureau will hold any boats or people who break these regulations accountable,” the notice said.
The annual three-and-a-half-month fishing ban just ended at noon on Monday. Hundreds of fishing boats had set sail off the coast in Shenzhen on that day.
The whale was first spotted in Dapeng Bay on June 29. A video that circulated online showed seagulls flying around a whale, visible above the water.
Since then, it has been resting and feeding in the area and was also spotted in Hong Kong waters.
