Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)
Four of the 29 whales, dolphins and porpoises that washed ashore in Hong Kong waters last year are suspected to have died from human activity.
An annual report released by the government and Ocean Park has found an overall decline in strandings.
The Hong Kong Marine Life Stranding Report 2025 is a collaboration between the Ocean Park Conservation Foundation and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. They jointly operate a response team to investigate marine life stranding cases in the city.
Since the team began in 2006, it has recorded more than 700 cases of stranded cetaceans in Hong Kong. Last year, 29 stranded cetaceans were recorded, down from 41 in 2024. Of these, four were suspected to be linked to human activity. This was a slight decrease from six such cases in 2024.
About 70 per cent of carcasses recorded last year could not be fully diagnosed. This is because they were decomposing due to the city’s high humidity and temperatures.
The latest statement did not specify the types of human activities involved. Previous statements have noted that cetaceans may strand due to infections or other causes, with some found entangled in ropes or suffering trauma from boat strikes.
