Finless porpoises swim in the Yangtze River in Yichang, central China's Hubei Province, Aug. 3, 2020. The finless porpoise, an endemic species in China, is an important indicator of the ecology of the Yangtze. Most famous for their upturned lips and smiling faces, the finless porpoises are widely welcomed by local residents and tourists, who all came by to observe and take photos of these "smiling angels." (Photo by Lei Yong/Xinhua)

In the river not far from the upstream of the Yangtze River Bridge in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province, people have been transfixed by the rare scene of finless porpoises jumping up and down in the water.

Most famous for their upturned lips and smiling faces, the finless porpoises are widely welcomed by local residents and tourists, who all came by to observe and take photos of these "smiling angels." 

It has been reported that finless porpoises used to appear most frequently in the middle of the river, and not on the sides. 

Recently, however, people have seen them more often along the riverbanks. 

A video of the finless porpoises circulating on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo has attracted many admirers, with many suggesting that it shows the ecological environment is getting better and more suitable for the porpoises to live in.

Global Times