After a finless porpoise was found stranded and dead at Cheung Sha Beach on Lantau Island the day before yesterday (18th), the dead finless porpoise was also found on the beach of Tung Peng Chau today (20th), which is the ninth finless porpoise stranding case this year.
The Hong Kong Ocean Park Conservation Foundation received a report today to follow up on a cetacean stranding case.
The juvenile finless porpoise was found on the beach of Tung Ping Chau. It is about 137 centimeters long. The sex is yet to be determined. The body is moderately decomposed.
Earlier today, the Conservation Fund brought the finless porpoise back to Ocean Park for detailed dissection and analysis.
According to the Hong Kong Ocean Park Conservation Fund website, there are about 200 finless porpoises in Hong Kong and adjacent waters.
In recent years, there have been about 20 to 50 cetacean stranding cases in Hong Kong every year. Most of them are Chinese white dolphins and finless porpoises that live in Hong Kong waters, and only a few belong to other cetacean species.
According to figures released by the Conservation Fund, a total of 20 finless porpoises were found stranded in Hong Kong waters last year, and the year with the highest number of discovery in the past 10 years was 2019, with a total of 42.
The website also pointed out that since most of the cetacean carcasses were found to be severely decomposed, only about 10% of the cases could confirm the cause of death.
The webpage also lists three main causes of death, including being entangled in abandoned fishing nets or fishing gear commonly known as "ghost nets"; some cetacean carcasses were found with scars or severe trauma, suspected to have been hit by a ship; pneumonia, parasites and bacterial infections are also common causes of death.
The Conservation Fund appeals to the public to call the "1823" hotline if they find any suspected strandings of cetaceans, sharks and scorpions, and provide the time, location, and photos of the stranding, so that the action team can arrive as soon as possible to follow up.