A pod of the Yangtze finless porpoise has been seen spy-hopping above the silvery surface of the Yangtze River, China’s longest river, attracting shutterbugs and nearby residents who want to catch a glimpse of these beautiful creatures. The freshwater porpoise with no dorsal fin is native to China and has lived here for 25 million years. They are the only freshwater subspecies of the finless porpoise family and pulse through the middle and lower main streams of the Yangtze River. With its mouth fixed in a permanent grin, the rotund finless porpoise is known in China as a “smiling angel.”

Endangered porpoises newest attraction in Yangtze. (2021, May 13). The Manila Times, p. B7.