ad info




TIME Asia
TIME Asia Home
Current Issue
Magazine Archive
Asia Buzz
Travel Watch
Web Features
  Entertainment
  Photo Essays

Subscribe to TIME
Customer Services
About Us
Write to TIME Asia

TIME.com
TIME Canada
TIME Europe
TIME Pacific
TIME Digital
Asiaweek
Latest CNN News

Young China
Olympics 2000
On The Road

 ASIAWEEK.COM
 CNN.COM
  east asia
  southeast asia
  south asia
  central asia
  australasia
 BUSINESS
 SPORTS
 SHOWBIZ
 ASIA WEATHER
 ASIA TRAVEL


Other News
From TIME Asia

Culture on Demand: Black is Beautiful
The American Express black card is the ultimate status symbol

Asia Buzz: Should the Net Be Free?
Web heads want it all -- for nothing

JAPAN: Failed Revolution
Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori clings to power as dissidents in his party finally decide not to back a no-confidence motion

Cover: Endgame?
After Florida's controversial ballot recount, Bush holds a 537-vote lead in the state, which could give him the election

TIME Digest
FORTUNE.com
FORTUNE China
MONEY.com

TIME Asia Services
Subscribe
Subscribe to TIME! Get up to 3 MONTHS FREE!

Bookmark TIME
TIME Media Kit
Recent awards

TIME Asia Asiaweek Asia Now TIME Asia story
Detour

Believe it or not, garbage isn't the only thing swimming around in Hong Kong waters. The heavily polluted South China Sea is also home to the Sousa chinensis, or Chinese white dolphin, a unique species of the mammal found only in Southeast Asia. The territory's rapid industrialization and far-reaching harbor reclamation have been bad news for the rare creature, whose numbers are estimated at only about 250. Faced with overfishing, heavy boat traffic and rising levels of raw sewage and toxic chemicals, the pink-tinged dolphins are struggling to survive in what little remains of their natural habitat.

Hong Kong Dolphinwatch (tel. 852-2984-1414), a four-year-old company dedicated to saving the mammals, has helped raise local awareness about their plight. The company organizes weekly trips to view the dolphins in their fast-diminishing environment. "We make every effort to educate each tour group about the threats facing the dolphins," says general manager Bill Leverett. Dolphin-watchers, he adds, have come from as far away as Japan and North America. Adults pay $36 for half-day boat tours or $45 for full-day tours on Sundays. Kids under 12 pay half-price, and a free return trip is offered to all in the rare instance that the dolphins fail to appear. Online booking information is at www.zianet.com/dolphins. On a typical tour, the dolphins hear the boat approaching and jump to the surface several times before taking a deep dive, giving eager naturalists plenty of time to catch a glimpse of the playful pink creatures. Guessing where they will appear next makes photo-taking a challenge, but Dolphinwatch has that covered: free postcards are included for each participant.

--Maria Cheng




Daily

July 26, 1999

Hot Tip
Thailand's New Age mecca, Koh Samui

Kitsch Report
Japanese smokers may have the last puff yet

Detour
Believe it or not, garbage isn't the only thing swimming around in Hong Kong waters

Web Crawling
Can't afford your own personal navigation unit? Seek free guidance online

Main Feature
Techno-trendy Japanese are using personal GPS receivers that pick up the "global positioning system" of 27 satellites that orbit the planet


ASIANOW Travel Home | TIME Asia home

AsiaNow


   LATEST HEADLINES:

WASHINGTON
U.S. secretary of state says China should be 'tolerant'

MANILA
Philippine government denies Estrada's claim to presidency

ALLAHABAD
Faith, madness, magic mix at sacred Hindu festival

COLOMBO
Land mine explosion kills 11 Sri Lankan soldiers

TOKYO
Japan claims StarLink found in U.S. corn sample

BANGKOK
Thai party announces first coalition partner



TIME:

COVER: President Joseph Estrada gives in to the chanting crowds on the streets of Manila and agrees to make room for his Vice President

THAILAND: Twin teenage warriors turn themselves in to Bangkok officials

CHINA: Despite official vilification, hip Chinese dig Lamaist culture

PHOTO ESSAY: Estrada Calls Snap Election

WEB-ONLY INTERVIEW: Jimmy Lai on feeling lucky -- and why he's committed to the island state



ASIAWEEK:

COVER: The DoCoMo generation - Japan's leading mobile phone company goes global

Bandwidth Boom: Racing to wire - how underseas cable systems may yet fall short

TAIWAN: Party intrigues add to Chen Shui-bian's woes

JAPAN: Japan's ruling party crushes a rebel ì at a cost

SINGAPORE: Singaporeans need to have more babies. But success breeds selfishness


Launch CNN's Desktop Ticker and get the latest news, delivered right on your desktop!

Today on CNN
 Search

Back to the top   © 2000 Time Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.