Sentinel of the Bryde’s whale
Dedicated research group keeps watch to protect and learn about the rare cetacean
In waters off Weizhou Island, Beihai, in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, a group of experts has become acquainted with the Bryde’s whale. They use small boats every day to track and record the traces of the whale. Comprising scientists, videographers, fishermen and volunteers from Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Institute of Aquatic Sciences at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Beibu Gulf University, the Beibu Gulf marine mammal joint research group has been conducting research on the whales and taking the role of the guardians of these majestic animals since they were first discovered in waters off Weizhou Island in 2016.
The Bryde’s whale, mainly seen in tropical and subtropical waters, is regarded as a very mysterious species of cetaceans, with a body length of 10 to 12 meters and a weight of up to 15 tons. Related research is extremely limited worldwide with regard to this rare species. The frequent appearance of the Bryde’s whale makes Weizhou Island the only large-scale cetacean predation spot discovered in China’s coastal waters since the 1980s.
The captain of the joint research group Yang Chengteng, who returned to his hometown to start his own business, was the first to discover the Bryde’s whale near Weizhou Island in 2016. He immediately informed Chen Mo, an associate researcher of Guangxi Academy of Sciences. Since
then, Yang invited many local fishermen into their WeChat group and kept the scientific research team informed of traces of the Bryde’s whale.
Chen, together with recently joined cetacean conservation biology graduate students Wang Ruilong and Zhang Yaoyao of the Institute of Hydrobiology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, hopes to learn about the Bryde’s whale as much as possible through such research methods as individual identification, behavior recording, health assessment and marine environmental monitoring.
Their ultimate goal is to protect the marine ecosystem with substantial scientific basis. Xu Jian and Wu Lixin, two veteran nature documentary photographers, take advantage of their powerful lenses to help more people understand and fall in love with the magical cetaceans in the Chinese waters. Xu Zhaoyuan, a student from Harbin Medical University, sacrifices his precious vacation time to volunteer for the scientific expedition team.
Day after day on the sea, the guardians marvel at the magic of creation countless times, but few would know
and deeply appreciate their hardearned work. Yang Chengteng is at the helm of the joint research group during the scientific expedition, yet he still has to worry about his livelihood for the rest of the year. Researchers are tight on funds and carefully plan every cent of their expenses, but they still work tirelessly and insist on longterm offshore operations every day.
Documentary photographers have to steadily manage various shooting equipment in a small boat and strive to capture every precious moment without disturbing the whales. For young volunteers, seasickness has become the biggest torment due to the turbulent sea.
In order to protect the Bryde’s whale, the local government promulgated the Regulations on Ecological Environment Protection of Weizhou Island in Beihai City in 2018, prohibiting fishing within 6 kilometers of the outlying island. At the same time, the fishery administration has stepped up patrols, and people from all walks of life have also called on the public not to engage in whale watching until the condition of the Bryde’s whale has been thoroughly and scientifically assessed.
But Chen Mo still has some concerns over the future of the Bryde’s whale. Some human activities pose great threats to their survival: Tourists take legal fishing boats to watch whales privately in the name of fishing; many fishing boats cruise at night near the forbidden waters, and fishermen use bright lights to trap the whale’s main fish prey; the increasingly prosperous island tourism has caused the water quality of the surrounding sea to deteriorate.
Faced with these situations, the guardians have worked closely with the government to promote popular science among local fishermen, students and tourists. A marine education textbook is also being prepared. Efforts are being made by the government and the guardians to protect the Bryde’s whale while serving the interests of the local people.
Refreshed and raring to go after a short Spring Festival break, the Chinese women’s volleyball team began a training camp last week motivated by one clear goal — to stand on the highest podium once again at the Olympics.
A 20-member squad, including superstar Zhu Ting, have knuckled down to work at the camp in Zhangzhou, Fujian province, with conditioning their bodies and sharpening their skills the focus over the next month or so under the guidance of legendary coach Lang Ping.
“When we first formed the national team last year, we had 100 days to go before the Tokyo Olympics. All of us had great momentum. But after the Games were postponed, the 100 days became 500 days. We cannot hold the same momentum for 500 days,” said Lang, the 60-year-old great who helped Team China win gold at 2016 Rio Olympics and two consecutive World Cup titles (2015, 2019).
The year 2020 presented unprecedented challenges to Lang’s squad. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Team China was unable to play any international tournaments last year, and has instead attempted to maintain some degree of competitiveness by training behind closed doors.
Having grown so accustomed to a hectic schedule of training and tournaments, Lang admits the prolonged period without intensive competition has not been easy to adjust to.
“We prepared our Olympic campaign from January to September last year, then the players participated in the national championships and the Super League, now we have resumed the closed training again,” Lang told Xinhua.
“It is difficult to train all the time without a competitive game to aim for. We haven’t had this scenario for a long time. We did have situations in the 1970s and 1980s, but no games in one year — it is the first time in my career.”
To keep her players’ spirits up and avoid boredom or burnout from the repetition of training sessions, Lang has added some variety to their weekly schedules by organizing activities such as basketball, soccer, badminton and table tennis.
The aim, Lang explained, is simply to let the players have fun. “Although these are different sports, there are common characteristics that can be useful for volleyball,” she added.
Keeping tabs on rivals around the world has also been problematic, if not impossible, adding extra layers of uncertainty and difficulty to China’s defense of its gold medal in Tokyo.
“We were used to identifying weaknesses through playing games, but now that’s hard to do without real tests,” Lang said.
“Ideally, we need to study our opponents’ match reports. We can’t make corresponding tactical changes just by watching videos from 2019.
“Teams like Brazil and the US maintain a very high standard. And the European teams are improving fast. Italy and Serbia, for example, had very young teams in 2016, but after four or five years they have matured and begun to peak,” she added.
“So, in Tokyo, I believe five to six teams have the potential to win gold. We can only know the final result based on our actual performance at that time.
“Under anti-pandemic protocols, I hope our team can play one or two international tournaments to better prepare for the Olympics. Otherwise, I hope to see our fans cheering for us on the court as soon as possible!”
Undoubtedly Team China’s biggest star is 26-year-old Zhu. After winning gold and being awarded the most valuable player, or MVP, title at the Rio Games, Zhu joined Turkish club VakifBank to become one of the world’s highest-paid volleyball players. She won a host of major honors in Europe before returning to China to play for Tianjin in 2019.
Lang is confident Zhu can once again wow the world this summer.
“She never acknowledges she is a genius,” said Lang. “But I think her body coordination, her ability to read games and her technique all make her a perfect player for volleyball. It’s very rare.
“Tokyo 2020 is a challenge for Zhu, because every team is familiar with her and has specific tactics, but I still expect that she can manage to pursue excellence. I also hope her teammates can improve fast.”
The feeling of trust and respect between the coach and the players is mutual.
“I think coach Lang is a person with magic, and she’s super serious with regard to volleyball. Why? Because every time when we have problems, we can always go to her and find a solution,” Zhu told Xinhua.
“As long as coach Lang is here with us, I feel at ease. Lang has many injuries herself, but she’s always there talking to us at each training session. I know it’s painful for her due to the injuries, but she always shows the best of herself in front of us. She always encourages us.”
“Ideally, we need to study our opponents’ match reports. We can’t make corresponding tactical changes just by watching videos from 2019.”
LANG PING
Head coach, Chinese women’s national volleyball team