[PHOTO BY XIE YONGYUN/FOR CHINA DAILY]

Before Pan received enough funding to purchase a yacht for the research facility in 2012, his team relied on local fishermen to keep track of white dolphin numbers.

Locals had long come to realize that Pan's work ultimately benefited their own lives, and regularly took him out to the sea for free. Perhaps, more importantly, their awareness of white dolphin protection has risen significantly, thanks to Pan's work.

"All of us fishermen have realized that we should protect the dolphins," says Lin Sange, who has been helping Pan to keep tabs on Chinese white dolphins for more than a decade.

"If the dolphins leave, it means there are no fish left here－and we would suffer," he adds.

Lin usually goes fishing in deeper waters with a couple of fishermen two or three times a week, depending on the weather.

His work includes recording the sounds the white dolphins make and taking pictures of them, as well as measuring the depth of the sea.

"I see the dolphins nine times out of 10," Lin says.

Lin used to be in the business of taking tourists to the sea to watch the dolphins, and readily joined Pan's cause when he saw how big trawlers, illegal breeding and sand digging had started to affect the animal's habitat.

Currently, Lin and three other fishermen are part of Pan's team and the job has been a labor of love for them all.

"We see different things each and every time," Lin says.

Sometimes, they see Chinese white dolphins carrying their calves, while on other occasions they can be seen taking part in affectionate rituals with their mates.

"Things can also turn violent when they fight each other during courtship," Lin says.

Those fishermen have all developed a very close bond with the marine mammals over the years and believe that some of the dolphins even recognize them.

"They will approach our boat as if they are looking for our protection when they are the underdog in a fight," Lin says.

"Our hearts broke when we once saw some of them bleed during such a fighting."

The four fishermen receive approximately 2,000 yuan ($297) a month for doing the dolphin protection work, and their family businesses have all benefited from the improving marine ecology.

Chinese white dolphins have also somehow pulled fishermen closer to their children.

"My son works away from home and he often calls me and asks about the dolphins," says Su Liuge, another fisherman on Pan's team.

Su's son often brings friends and colleagues back home to see the white dolphins of Sanniang Bay.

"If the dolphins leave, my son might not want to come back either," Su says half-jokingly.