Beihai promises tourists a whale of a time

Under a vivid orange sunset, the sea glittered like a carpet sprinkled with diamonds.

A swirling chaos of white wings and hungry shrieks, gulls wheeled and dived toward a churning patch of water, breaking to reveal several dark gray Bryde's whales. Circling, then rising vertically from the water, the whales opened their massive jaws like bottomless traps.

Fish and shrimp erupted from the sea in panic, leaping into the air, to be snatched up by the waiting beaks of the ravenous gulls.

While it sounds like a scene from a David Attenborough nature documentary, the natural spectacle can be seen in person, if luck permits, on one of the whale watching trips that take place in the waters near Weizhou Island in Beihai, which is in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

From December to April each year, Bryde's whales, classified as first-class nationally protected wildlife in China, are at their most active in the Beibu Gulf, where Weizhou Island sits.

The best conditions for whale watching are warm, calm days. And the most telling sign is the sight of gulls swirling and gathering above the water.

Whenever a Bryde's whale surfaces to breathe, the gulls immediately flock to it in the hopes of snagging an easy meal.

"The waters around Weizhou Island offer suitable depth, abundant food and no natural threats, making it an ideal habitat and breeding ground for the whales," said Pang Bijian, a senior engineer at the Guangxi Marine Environmental Monitoring Station.

The Beibu Gulf is one of the country's four major fishing grounds. During the months between December and April, the favorable water temperature, salinity and ocean currents drive large numbers of small pelagic fish like anchovy and herring to gather around the island, forming a rich, high-density food source for the whales — and the opportunistic gulls.

In addition, the relatively calm, oxygen-rich water helps mother whales raise their calves and improves offspring survival rates.

In 2018, the Beihai city government announced the discovery of a stable Bryde's whale population in the area, the only large baleen whale population that can be consistently observed in China's coastal waters. With over 70 individual whales now identified, the gulf has become an ecological treasure.

The whale watching industry in Beihai has also brought significant economic benefits, generating 230 million yuan ($33.46 million) in tourism revenue last year.

John MK Wong, a Hong Kong marine biologist, noted that in some Chinese historical texts, whales are often depicted as mythical and protective creatures. In the lives of ancient fishermen, whales were regarded as auspicious "divine beasts" capable of delivering them from hardship.

"These cultural symbols reflect people's reverence for whales and their relationship of coexistence with them," he said.

Wong noted that whale watching activities can not only boost local economic development and improve the livelihoods of fishermen, but also raise public awareness of whale conservation.

Chen Mo, a researcher at the Guangxi Academy of Sciences who has studied Bryde's whales around Weizhou Island with his colleagues since 2016, said: "Over the past two years, I've seen positive changes. Whale watching is now under government supervision, tourist behavior has become more orderly, and operators are starting to monitor and address misconduct."