Yangtze River dolphin, or Baiji dolphin - nicknamed "Goddess of the Yangtze" in China - is a freshwater dolphin and one of the most endangered animals on Earth. Over the past decades, the Yangtze River dolphin has become one of the many species on the verge of extinction due to environmental pollution caused by dumping of industrial waste in the Yangtze. They are consequently rarely seen now, however, a horde of dolphins have been seen recently jumping in the river near the Dongfengxisha reservoir of Chongming, at the Yangtze River Estuary.

To confirm this, the reporter boarded a marine patrol boat which departed from Nanmengang and when the boat drew near to the Dongfengxisha reservoir, a pod of river dolphins were seen jumping and flipping in the river. The reporter recorded this scene with his camera.

The reporter then interviewed by phone Professor Tang Wenqiao, Director of the Fisheries Research Office at Shanghai Ocean University, who confirmed that, when spotted, Yangtze River dolphins, like this pod, are usually seen at the Yangtze River Estuary.

The Yangtze River dolphin is listed as one of the first-class national protected animals of China and it is estimated that only about 1,000 of them exist along the whole Yangtze River Basin.

The appearance of Yangtze River dolphins at the Yangtze River Estuary indicates that the ecological system of Yangtze River, especially at the Estuary, has been vastly improved. Chongming’s relevant departments told the reporter that they will further enhance the monitoring and protection of river dolphins at the Yangtze River Estuary.