This Friday, December 12, 2025, the first feature-length documentary dedicated to the Chinese white dolphin premieres across the Chinese mainland. Six years in the making, “Chinese White Dolphin” is the world’s first film centered on this vulnerable marine mammal.
Known as the only marine mammal bearing the “Chinese” name, the Chinese white dolphin is listed as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List and protected as a national first-class species. Its global population is estimated at around 6,000, with more than 4,500 individuals living in Chinese waters, including over 2,000 in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area.
Set against two major milestones in the Greater Bay Area—the completion of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge and the jointly hosted 15th National Games across the three regions—the 82-minute story follows a dolphin named Zhuzhu on her journey home. Through her eyes, the film explores migration, survival and the fragile balance between development and conservation.
Upholding principles of scientific rigor, accessibility and vivid storytelling, the production team collaborated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Branch of the China Wildlife Conservation Association. Over six years, the crew conducted more than 100 offshore shoots across the Chinese mainland provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan, and the Hong Kong and Macao regions, as well as in the United States, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Thailand. They covered 3,600 nautical miles, interviewed 21 scientists and 17 conservationists, and gathered over 1,000 hours of footage.
According to director Yan Dong, the film depicts not only the migration and survival of the Chinese white dolphin, but a life force that crosses oceans and connects us all.
Reference(s):
First documentary on Chinese white dolphin opens across China
cgtn.com
