National Nature Reserve of Guangdong Nanpeng Islands

The National Nature Reserve of Guangdong Nanpeng Islands in Guangdong province was established in 2003. It covers a total area of 35,679 hectares and became the fifth national-level marine nature reserve in Guangdong, as well as the first one in the eastern region of Guangdong, in 2012. In 2015, it was recognized and included in the International Important Wetlands Directory.

The main focus of the reserve is to protect the unique underwater natural landscapes, the ecosystems of the nearby coastal waters, the important rare and endangered marine animals, the various fish  species and their habitats, as well as the marine biodiversity.

Researchers have discovered 1,308 marine species in the area, including 772 economically significant fish, shrimp, crab, mollusk, and algae species. The reserve is home to 21 identified rare and endangered aquatic wildlife species.

Among these, nine species such as the Chinese white dolphin (Sousa chinensis) and the nautilus are classified as first-class protected animals at the national level, while 27 species including the Common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncates) and the Indo-Pacific finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides) are classified as second-class protected animals.