Abstract: There are few and sporadic records of the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, Sousa chinensis (Osbeck, 1765), from the waters of Taiwan. In June 2002, an exploratory survey of the coastal waters off central western Taiwan resulted in the sighting of several groups of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins in the coastal waters of Miaoli, Taichung, and Changhua counties. The minimum combined total number of dolphins observed in all sightings was estimated to be 28. Other details of the sightings are presented, past records of this species in Taiwanese waters are reviewed, and threats to this species in the waters of western Taiwan are discussed.

Key Words: INDO-PACIFIC HUMPBACK DOLPHINS; SOUSA CHINENSIS; TAIWAN; SURVEY; STRANDING RECORDS; CONSERVATION

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.1578/AM.30.1.2004.189