Ｔｈｅ Ｗｏｎｄｒｏｕｓ Ｗｈｉｔｅ Ｄｏｌｐｈｉｎ

The endangered Chinese white dolphin is now under，first-grade proteetion in China， the samelevel of protection officially granted the giant panda and the South China tiger. Also known asthe \"giant panda of the sea \" and a \"national treasure of the sea， \" the marine mammal primarilylives in Sanniang Bay. in Qinzhou City， Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. where the quality ofseawater is good and marine life abounds.

It is the weekend and friends suggestthat we visit the dolphins. A good idea，we thought， so we drove from down-town Qinzhou bound for SanniangBay. Motoring down the new asphalt roadbetween green fields sparkling beneath asettled morning mist， a romantic and mov-ing legend came to mind.

Long， long ago， at Sanniang Bay therelived only three handsome lads who de-pended on each other for survival. One day，three fairies descended from the heavensThey discovered the bountiful bay and thediligent and handsome lads， and decided tomarry into the mortal world. The Jade Em-peror， a divinity presiding over all mattersof happiness and disaster both in the heav-ens and on the earth， permitted them onlythree years in the mortal realm. They leda happy life， in love and raising their chil-dren. Each day， while the husbands fishedon the abundant waters， the wives remainedat home weaving nets. But the three yearspassed quickly. When the three fairies didnot return home on the day he decreed， theJade Emperor was so furious that he broughtforth violent winds and storm surges to en-gulf the husbands in their fishing boats.The three wives stood by the shore in thewild wind and waves， shoulder-to-shoulder，waiting and wishing for their husbands re-turn. Eventually， after many days， the threetransformed into granite rocks， and theystand there still， side-by-side， waiting forthe return of their beloved husbands.

It was about a 30-minute drive to theSanniang Bay Scenic Area， where the Dol-phin Gate greeted us. The gate takes theform of a large sculpture consisting of threelovely and plump dolphins soaring in theair. The morning bay was calm and the airwas clear and fresh. The crowds were light，not because this is a newly developed scenicspot， but because we arrived just after theseven-day Labor Day holiday. We some-times encountered attendants and workersin the scenic area. We were told that the ma-jority of the workers were previously fish-ermen. As their villages were converted totourist areas， many young fishermen cameto work for the facility. Their smiles cameeasy， and it seemed they were happy withthe change in lifestyle.

We boarded a yacht and headed for thewaters where dolphins frequent; sailing onan expanse of vast sea so calm it resembleda huge cotton blanket. Dolphins are prob-ably the most intelligential mammal in thesea， and they were especially wise in theirchoice of Sanniang Bay for a home. Theseawater around Sanniang Bay is virtuallypollution free， and here the Dafeng Riverand the sea meet， so various microbes andfish abound. Local fishermen take the ap-pearance of a dolphin as an auspicious sign，believing they will then come upon largeschools offish and realize a good catch. Thefishermen revere the dolphins， would neverharm them， and Sanniang Bay has becomeone of the largest habitats of Chinese whitedolphin in the world. About 800 to 1，000now reside within those waters.

Someone on the bow calls out， \"Look，dolphins!\" as our boat is just 10 minutesfrom shore. Following their gesture， we seemany white dots on the calm green surfaceahead. Yes， dolphins! We watch as they dartfront to left， and then to the right side of theyacht. The creatures that were silver a mo-ment ago now are dark grey.

\"Look， the pink dolphin，\" I shouted， fo-cusing my camera lens on a creature whichotherwise has dark spots on its body. Now，we are just among those colorful creatures，or maybe some are just under our yacht.\"Click，\" I press the shutter. Just at that mo-ment， the boat sways and my image blurswith the movement.

\"That is why it is so interesting and fullof fun to view dolphins here，\" one of myfriends says. \"You will never know whetheryou will see them or not when you set off， orwhere they will appear. Not to mention thecolor of dolphins you will see.\"

Some say that dolphins are the mostchallenging creature to photograph. Youmust search for your subject constantly， andas soon as you spot them， you must focusyour lens and press the shutter all at once.\"Look， the dolphin is back there，\" some-one says excitedly. A grey dolphin slowsdown its tempo and cruises to the surface.The creature makes a graceful arc on thesmooth seawater before silently descend-ing. Its clear and lovely reflection， and evenits bright eyes are mirrored in the peacefulsea surface. This time， I hold my breath andpress the shutter immediately. I made it. Icatch the moment it eases gracefully to thewater's surface.

\"The Chinese white dolphin is a na-tional treasure，\" one of our friends says aswe sail back. \"Viewing them has long beenone of my dreams. Today I made it cometrue. I hope that is a sign of good luck forthe next year.\"