Rare killer whales spotted 120 km southeast of city

The two killer whales are spotted foraging in waters around 120 kilometers from Shenzhen in this photo released Wednesday. Courtesy of CNOOC China Ltd. Shenzhen

Two rarely seen killer whales were recently spotted foraging in waters around oil fields in eastern South China Sea, around 120 kilometers southeast of Shenzhen.

Their appearance signaled the improvement of the marine ecosystem around the oil production facilities, according to a local marine species researcher.

The black-and-white whales were first seen around the Hai Yang Shi You 115, an FPSO (floating production storage and offloading) facility operated by State-owned China National Offshore Oil Corp. Ltd. Shenzhen Co. (CNOOC China Ltd. Shenzhen), at the end of May, said engineers working on the facility in eastern South China Sea.

The killer whale, known as wolf of the sea, is the largest member of the dolphin family. Members of this family include all dolphin species, as well as other larger species such as long-finned pilot whales and short-finned pilot whales. It is recognizable by its black-and-white patterned body.

It is actually the world’s largest dolphin, said Shen Xiaoming, a researcher from Dapeng Peninsula Marine Library in Dapeng New Area. “This is the first time that killer whales have been seen in eastern South China Sea, and they are so close to Shenzhen,” he said after seeing a video of the two whales shot by CNOOC engineers.

“This is also the first time that killer whales are so clearly visible in a video recording. I’m so thrilled to see them,” said Shen, who has been dedicated to collecting digital data of marine animals and species in the South China Sea.

Shen said he had talked to the scientists from the Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering of Chinese Academy of Sciences (about the killer whales) and they were surprised to see the species. “They told me that they didn’t come across any killer whales in their scientific expedition in the South China Sea last year, and that the video is important for their next scientific expedition.”

CNOOC engineers working on the offshore oil rigs in the South China Sea said they often see various marine animals including whales and dolphins around their production facilities in recent years, while a few years ago these species were rarely visible.

Shen said it is a sign that the marine ecosystem in the area has been significantly improved.

According to CNOOC China Ltd. Shenzhen, the offshore oil producer has made efforts in protecting the marine environment of its oil field clusters by investing big on energy-efficient, environmentally friendly production facilities.

The company said it is also committed to maintaining and protecting the sea. Company data showed it has released 6.1 million black sea bream, 6.1 million oval pomfret and 230 million long-haired shrimps, worth over 6.63 million yuan (US$991,802) in total amount into Dapeng’s waters since 2021.