Monday 28 September 2009

Vacancy: Development and Conservation Officer, Hong Kong Dolphinwatch

We are looking for a self-motivated, energetic individual to fill the vacancy in our office, starting October 2009. Hong Kong Dolphinwatch has been running trips to see the pink dolphins since 1995, with the aim of raising awareness about the pink dolphins swimming in the wild in Hong Kong waters. The aim of the trips is to help increase awareness of their plight, collect data for research, and to raise money to support dolphin research and protection campaigns. We emphasise responsible eco-tourism, and follow a code of conduct to minimise disturbance to the dolphins.

We offer a caring working environment, with learning opportunities and the freedom to explore and experiment. The post is an excellent opportunity for those seeing to develop themselves further in environmental protection and conservation, and interested in working in public administration and/or the non-profit sector.

We are willing to offer the chance to a less qualified candidate, if s/he can demonstrate commitment and interest in our work.

Job Duties:
  • Develop promotional campaigns and publicity material for business development;
  • Develop and maintain resources for awareness raising, such as newsletters, educational materials; Maintain web administration and social media activity
  • Liaise with partners and government counterparts, and attend meetings where relevant; Deliver talks at schools and community groups to raise awareness on conservation issues, and in particular relating to the Chinese White Dolphins
  • Administration and other tasks as assigned, including receiving reservations and organising dolphin watching trips.
Requirements:
  • A responsible and professional person with a pleasant and outgoing personality; environmentally conscious with a love of nature, and committed to protecting the Chinese White Dolphins;
  • Interest and/or experience in conservation work, and familiarity with conservation and environmental protection issues in Hong Kong;
  • Interest and/or experience in business and/or organisational development;
  • Good command of spoken and written English. Knowledge of other languages is considered an advantage.
Terms of Appointment:
  • The post is a full-time office based position, with occasional trips to the boat when required.
  • Five-day week, with annual and casual leave
  • Annual bonus according to the financial performance of the company.
  • The successful candidate will receive appropriate training.
Interested parties, please send your CV and motivation letter to info@hkdolphinwatch.com, with expected salary

Monday 29 June 2009

Welcome to the blog of Hong Kong's pink dolphin watchers

Welcome to the blog of Hong Kong Dolphinwatch. We organise tours around three times a week to see the bubble-gum pink dolphins that swim in the wild off Lantau Island, Hong Kong. We shall report on our dolphin sightings here, to keep people who have gone on our past trip, as well as others interested in these pink dolphins updated. We shall also provide the latest updates on the latest research about these dolphins and efforts to protect them, and also more sadly the latest efforts of humans to intrude further into their habitat.

The pink dolphins are indeed pink in colour, and are otherwise known as the Chinese White Dolphin, the Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin, or scientifically as Sousa chinensis. The dolphins are born grey in colour, and as they mature they become pink with grey spots, eventually becoming the beautiful pink colour they are known for when the become adults.

These pink dolphins are currently on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. In the Hong Kong waters there are estimated to be around 100-180 resident dolphins, while there are more swimming around the Pearl River Delta and the Indo-Pacific region.

If you would like to come see these dolphins for yourself, you are welcome to join us on one of our thrice-weekly trips. Our tours that run every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday mornings, and we have had a 97% sighting record. The aim of our trips is help to raise awareness about the dolphins and raise money to support dolphin research and protection campaigns. We emphaises responsible ecotourism, and follow a code of conduct to minimise disturbance to the dolphins. Please contact Hong Kong Dolphinwatch if you are interested. For more information, please visit our website:


For photos of the pink dolphins, please visit our website, or the website of our photographer, Ken Fung:

If you have any feedback or something related to these pink dolphins that you would like to share, please feel free to contact us. We would love to hear from you.