[Video/Wu Weimin]

A Yangtze finless porpoise was captured on camera leaping from the water near the Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong Yangtze River Bridge on Oct 11, offering a glimpse of the protected species in its natural habitat.

Resident Wu Weimin filmed the brief sighting while crossing the river by ferry. The porpoise arched out of the water before disappearing beneath the surface.

The Yangtze finless porpoise, a first-class nationally protected species often dubbed the "giant panda of the water", is considered a key indicator of the river's ecological health.

Nantong boasts the longest stretch of Yangtze River coastline in Jiangsu province and serves as the final ecological buffer before the river empties into the sea.

In recent years, intensified conservation efforts along the river have led to a marked improvement in its ecosystem in the Nantong section. Once a rare sight, porpoises are now commonly spotted, with mothers and calves swimming together and groups frolicking in the water becoming more common.

The growing frequency of porpoise sightings along the Nantong waterfront is seen as vivid evidence of the river's ecological recovery and a testament to the region's environmental progress.