Over 30 false killer whales are observed in the coastal waters of Nantong on June 16. [Video/Nantong Environmental Monitoring Center of Jiangsu Province]

A pod of over 30 false killer whales, including at least three calves, was sighted in the coastal waters near Rudong, a county in Nantong, Jiangsu province, by an observation team from the Nantong Environmental Monitoring Center of Jiangsu Province on June 16.

This marks the fifth consecutive year that false killer whales have been observed in the coastal waters of Nantong, and it is the third sighting of this species in the area this year.

False killer whales are a nationally protected species in China, classified as a second-class protected wild animal. They are also listed as Near Threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. These whales inhabit all major oceans, with the exception of the Arctic Ocean, primarily residing in warm-temperate to tropical marine environments, where they are typically found in offshore areas. Continuous sightings of large groups in coastal habitats are relatively uncommon.

The repeated visits of false killer whales in the coastal waters of Nantong can be attributed to the abundant prey resources in Nantong's coastal waters, which have been bolstered by reductions in human disturbance during fishing moratoriums and by ongoing improvements in the marine ecological environment.

In response to these findings, the monitoring center is set to enhance routine surveillance of key sea areas. This includes comprehensive tracking of the movements of both false killer whales and Yangtze finless porpoises, as part of a broader initiative to preserve aquatic biodiversity in Nantong's coastal waters.