By Wu Xiaoyun

  On 4th February, staff of Nantong Maritime Safety Administration took photos of finless porpoises playing while cruising in the water area near China Merchants Industry Haimen Base and Haitai Ferry. 

  Yangtze River finless porpoises have lived on Earth for 25 million years. It is an ancient and rare species unique to the Yangtze River. Its mouth naturally curves up, forming a smile-like shape. It is called the ‘smiling angel’ of the Yangtze River, and also the ‘living fossil’ of the Yangtze River ecology and the ‘panda in the water’. Yangtze River finless porpoises play an important role in reflecting the status of the ecological system of the Yangtze River. 

【背景阅读】

又见“微笑天使”

    2月4日，南通海事局工作人员在招商重工海门工业基地和海太汽渡附近水域巡航时，拍摄到江豚嬉戏的画面。

    长江江豚已在地球生活2500万年，是长江特有的古老而珍稀的物种，嘴部弧线天然上扬呈微笑状，被称为长江的“微笑天使”，也被称作长江生态的“活化石”和“水中大熊猫”。长江江豚对反映长江生态系统状况有重要作用。

    作者：吴霄云