At 8:24 PM on July 31st, on the east side of the Luoxi Bridge in Panyu District, Guangzhou, a Chinese white dolphin that had strayed into the inland reaches of Pearl River for several days was safely towed out of the river. The dolphin, nicknamed "Xiao Bai", was first spotted by local residents on July 25th in the waters near Jianggao Park. On July 29th, it reappeared under the Jinshazhou Bridge. Due to the complex waterways of the Pearl River, it's extremely challenging to track the dolphin.

The turning point occurred at 1:09 PM on July 31st, when Chen Yufan from CCCC-FHDI Engineering Co., Ltd. and Wang Wenhao from Liaoning Haida Law Firm noticed unusual movement on the river surface while walking near the Luoxi Bridge. Chen recorded a video and shared it in the company's group chat. Engineer He Chendong, upon seeing the video, immediately recalled the previous news about a white dolphin accidentally entering the Pearl River and dying. He then quickly rushed to the riverbank with his colleague Yang Yadi and asked Chen to call the police. Upon arrival, the police confirmed it was "Xiao Bai" and promptly reported the situation to the relevant authorities.

For the next two hours, Wang Wenhao, Yang Yadi, He Chendong, and Chen Yufan became the "lookouts" on the riverbank. After receiving a tip from He Chendong, the reporter arrived at the scene around 4:00 PM and finally spotted the dolphin wandering in the waters west of the Luoxi Bridge.

Over the next few hours, a rescue plan gradually took shape. The narrow waters west of the Luoxi Bridge were suitable for net capture. At 7:00 PM, "Xiao Bai" suddenly swam out through a gap in the embankment and entered the waters east of the Luoxi Bridge, with four rescue boats closely following behind. At 8:24 PM, with the coordinated efforts of all four boats, rescuers successfully enclosed the dolphin with a fishing net and slowly towed it to a safe area.

Afterward, Fang Liang, a researcher at the South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences (SCSFRI, CAFS), conducted a preliminary examination of "Xiao Bai": "It has been confirmed to be a Chinese white dolphin, a national first-class protected animal in China. The Pearl River Estuary is home to the world's largest population of Chinese white dolphins, with about one to three of them straying into inland rivers every year."

The examination results, however, were not encouraging. "This white dolphin is very old, with teeth and gums badly worn, a thin body with protruding ribs and scars. The spots on its body are typical symptoms of prolonged exposure to freshwater," Fang explained. He noted that most of the dolphins that stray into inland rivers are elderly  individuals, and "Xiao Bai" had been struggling in freshwater for at least seven days.

"The Pearl River System is complex, making it very difficult to track this white dolphin," Fang added. "We received reports and deployed personnel to search on July 25th and July 30th, but ultimately lost track of it. The timely reports from the public were crucial to the success of this rescue."

误入珠江7天，中华白海豚获救！

7月31日20时24分，广州番禺洛溪大桥东侧水域，一头误入珠江内河多日的中华白海豚，终于被安全托离江水。早在7月25日，广州市民在江高公园附近水域发现了这头“小白”。7月29日，它又在金沙洲大桥下现身。珠江水系复杂，追踪工作困难重重。

转机出现在7月31日13时9分。中交第四航务工程勘察设计院有限公司的陈宇凡与辽宁海大律师事务所的王文浩在洛溪大桥旁边散步时，发现江面有异动。陈宇凡拍下视频，发到公司技术交流群。工程师何晨东看到后马上想到之前白海豚误入珠江死亡的新闻，当即与同事杨雅迪赶往江边，同时让陈宇凡报警。警察赶到现场，确认是“小白”后，马上将现场情况传递给相关部门。

此后两小时，王文浩、杨雅迪、何晨东、陈宇凡成了江岸上的“哨兵”。记者接到何晨东的报料后，于16时许赶到现场，终于在洛溪大桥西侧水域发现徘徊的“小白”。

此后的几个小时里，救援方案逐步确定：洛溪大桥西侧水域狭窄，适合下网捕捞。19时，“小白”突然从堤坝的一个缺口游了出去，进入洛溪大桥东侧水域，4艘救援船紧紧尾随。20时24分，在4艘船配合下，救援人员终于成功用渔网将其兜住，并将其缓慢拖到安全区域。

随后，中国水产科学研究院南海水产研究所研究员方亮对“小白”进行了初步体检：“确认是国家一级保护动物中华白海豚。珠江口有全球最大的中华白海豚种群，每年约有1至3头会误入内河。”

体检结果不容乐观：“这头白海豚非常老了，牙齿、牙床基本磨平，身体消瘦，肋骨凸出，身上有伤痕。体表出现的斑点是长时间滞留淡水的典型症状。”方亮解释，误入内河的多为老年个体，而“小白”在淡水环境中已至少挣扎7天。

方亮说：“珠江水系复杂，追踪这头白海豚很困难。我们在7月25日、30日都接到报告并出动人员搜寻，但最终它都失去踪迹。这次能成功施救，群众的及时报告至关重要。”

文丨记者 许敏
图丨记者 曾育文
翻译丨盛嘉
审校丨肖凯欣