Text by MOOK Scenic Spots Travel Life Network, reported by Li Xinyi
Pink is a lovable color—seeing a pink Hello Kitty always makes you say “kawaii!” But what if an animal is pink? Rumor has it that even cute dolphins can be pink—and they live in the ocean near the border between Thailand’s Nakhon Si Thammarat Province and Surat Thani Province.
The gray dolphin with its head peeking out at the back and the pink one in front are a calf and its mother, swimming together in the sea. (Photo by Scenic Spots Li Xinyi)
We set off by boat from Nakhon Si Thammarat Province in search of the legendary pink dolphins. Spotting them in the vast ocean depends entirely on luck. Despite the calm and sunny seas, there was no sign of the dolphins. Just as our guide announced that they might have swum far away and we wouldn’t be able to see them today, we suddenly noticed some slight movement in the distance—we had finally found the pink dolphins！
After waiting quietly, the pink dolphin suddenly appeared near a small island, drawing gasps of amazement from everyone. (Photo by Scenic Spots Li Xinyi)
Pink dolphins are actually born gray, and their gray color gradually fades and turns pink after they turn 8 years old. (Photo by Scenic Spots Li Xinyi)
In the vast ocean near the border of Thailand’s Nakhon Si Thammarat Province and Surat Thani Province, the well-preserved marine ecosystem attracts these beloved creatures. There are about three types of dolphins that appear in this area, and the legendary pink dolphins are known as the “Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin.” These dolphins are born gray with white bellies, and they only begin to turn pink after the age of 8. Female dolphins have an average lifespan of around 30 years, while males can live up to 50 years. Female dolphins become pregnant at around 5–6 years old and then care for their calves for 3–4 years.
The shy dolphin peeks out slightly—it’s the legendary pink dolphin！(Photo by Scenic Spots Li Xinyi)
On this trip, we were lucky enough to spot both gray and pink dolphins in Surat Thani Province’s Mu Ko Ang Thong National Park, where a mother (pink) was swimming in the sea with her calf (gray). Both pairs we encountered were mothers with their young. Perhaps due to strong maternal instincts, the pink dolphins were highly alert and kept their distance from the boat. However, since dolphins need to surface for air roughly every three minutes, we still caught fleeting glimpses of them—their pink bodies and dorsal fins gliding through the blue sea, leaving us in awe of such an adorable creature existing in this world！
Dolphins need to come up for air approximately every three minutes, so spotting them requires constant attention to movements on the sea. (Photo by Scenic Spots Li Xinyi)
- 1
- 2