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Coinciding with World Oceans Month, Ocean Park Hong Kong, in partnership with Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Hong Kong (OPCFHK) and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), today released the Hong Kong Marine Life Stranding Report for 2025. The findings serve as a powerful reminder that safeguarding the iconic marine species in Hong Kong waters requires both scientific expertise and community vigilance, underlining the critical importance of public awareness in marine conservation.
Being the first line responders to injured or distressed marine wildlife in Hong Kong, the three-way Marine Life Stranding Response Team has investigated nearly 700 cases since 2006. In 2025, the Team attended to 29 cetacean stranding cases, which involved mostly Indo-Pacific finless porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides, 24 cases), as well as four Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis), and one Omura’s whale (Balaenoptera omurai). These were handled alongside critical cases involving a juvenile bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas).
The finless porpoise strandings were concentrated in Sai Kung and southern Hong Kong, while humpback dolphins were localised off Lantau Island. Stranding activity among cetaceans peaked between January and March, similar to last year. Age classification revealed a diverse demographic spread affecting all life stages, with a total of 19 cases involving subadults and adults.
Diagnostic challenges posed by decomposition
The race against time to recover specimens remains the major challenge to data collection and analysis – a task made even more difficult by Hong Kong’s subtropical climate. High humidity and soaring temperatures act as environmental catalysts, accelerating the decomposition of carcasses and often destroying vital biological evidence within hours. In 2025, nearly 70% of cetacean carcasses exhibited advanced decomposition, classified as Code 4 (Badly Decomposed) or Code 5 (Mummified/Skeletal). This high prevalence of post-mortem degradation severely constrained diagnostic efforts, resulting in 79% of the 2025 stranding cases being categorised as undetermined.
Therefore, the Hong Kong public acts as a vital link in the global marine conservation chain by reporting sightings quickly to the AFCD, ensuring the carcasses can be retrieved as quickly as possible for veterinarians to determine the cause of death, so that every lost life contributes to the survival of the species through scientific understanding.
Anthropogenic cases decline from 2024
In 2025, 4 cases were suspected to be caused by human activities, a slight decrease from the 6 cases recorded in 2024. One death was attributed to a suspected bacterial or parasitic infection.
Additionally, the Marine Life Stranding Response Team continued to monitor an Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin named Ring, which has experienced chronic neck entanglement from synthetic rope since 2024. Photographic evidence from April 2025 revealed a deepened constriction, though it still exhibited normal behaviour. The Team will continue close monitoring for potential intervention. Members of the public who spot “Ring” can report the sighting to the AFCD by calling the hotline 1823 immediately.
Elasmobranch stranding events: sharks and rays
Beyond cetaceans, the Marine Life Stranding Response Team is also dedicated to the rescue of elasmobranchs. In November 2025, the team undertook an emergency medical extraction of a juvenile bull shark in Pak Nai. Demonstrating a seamless application of husbandry expertise to wildlife conservation, the team performed an emergency medical extraction and transported the shark to Ocean Park for intensive care. Although the shark ultimately expired due to the profound stress of the stranding and metabolic derangement, the data gathered from its post-mortem examination, which revealed focal cranial trauma, is essential for managing apex predators in urbanised coastal waters. These efforts reinforce that a healthy ocean requires the protection of all its inhabitants, from dolphins to sharks.
Call for community stewardship
“Carrying forward the spirit of World Oceans Day, these animals were all ambassadors for the health of our oceans. Every stranding incident provides invaluable data that helps the public understand the complex pressures facing Hong Kong’s marine ecosystems and guides the conservation efforts needed to protect them,” commented Paulo Pong, Chairman of Ocean Park Corporation, and Chair of Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Hong Kong.
The ongoing joint efforts of Ocean Park, OPCFHK and AFCD serve as a vital local pillar of the global movement celebrated on World Oceans Day. While the team remains on the front lines of wildlife conservation, the long-term survival of Hong Kong’s marine life is closely linked to community awareness and action. In 2025, AFCD partnered with OPCFHK to promote the conservation of Hong Kong’s marine mammals through diverse educational activities, including guided dolphin-watching tours and school seminars. These activities aimed to educate the public and students about cetacean ecology, the importance of conservation, the threats these animals face, and the guidelines for dolphin-watching activities.
By adopting simple yet impactful behavioural changes, such as reporting stranding sightings immediately to the 1823 hotline, practising sustainable boating and eliminating the disposal of maritime waste, the public directly contributes to the protection of Hong Kong’s vibrant marine biodiversity, ensuring it remains a source of pride and wonder for generations to come.
Illustrative cases from 2025
Case One
On 13 March 2025, a juvenile male Chinese white dolphin was found in Tai O. Its body was covered in rake marks of varying depths, and bruising was observed on the blubber beneath the skin. Although there was no obvious evidence of drowning and the exact cause of death remained unclear, aggressive interactions between dolphins were considered a likely possibility.
Case Two
On 2 December 2025, a juvenile male finless porpoise was found stranded on Ham Tin Wan Beach. Necropsy revealed parasitic calcified nodules in its lungs, indicative of severe lung pathology. Further histopathological examination uncovered signs of inflammation in its liver and stomach, suggesting the porpoise suffered from secondary bacterial pneumonia that ultimately led to sepsis and multiple organ failure.
