Dalian National Spotted Seal Nature Reserve

The Dalian National Spotted Seal Nature Reserve was established in 1992, on the west coast of the Liaodong Peninsula in Northeast China’s Liaoning province. Spanning 560,000 hectares and boasting a coastline of around 370 kilometers, this area covers almost the entirety of Dalian city's coastal region along Liaodong Bay. The main purpose of the reserve is to protect the spotted seals and the ecological environment. In January 2002, the reserve was listed as a Ramsar Site, or Wetland of International Importance.

This reserve has a rich abundance of biological resources, creating a harmonious ecological paradise. There are 26 species of phytoplankton, 25 species of zooplankton, and 35 species of aquatic animals. Among these species, there are animals under first-class State protection such as spotted seals, fin whales, minke whales; and animals under second-class State protection such as killer whales, false killer whales, common dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, narrow-ridged finless porpoises, and other rare species.

The spotted seal is the only pinniped mammal that breeds in China’s coastal waters. The spotted seals in the Bohai Sea are ecologically isolated from those in other regions of the world, which is of great significance for biodiversity conservation.