Editor's note: As protection of the planet's flora, fauna and resources becomes increasingly important, China Daily is publishing a series of stories to illustrate the country's commitment to safeguarding the natural world.

Protecting Chinese white dolphins has always been a family affair for Pan Yue. For almost two decades, Pan, her husband, and her father have taken nearly 5 million photographs documenting and studying the population of rare Chinese white dolphins in Sanniang Bay, Qinzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

Named for their overall white or light pink coloration in adulthood, Chinese white dolphins have an estimated population of no more than 5,000 individuals in the wild, distributed in the nearshore waters of Fujian and Guangdong provinces and Guangxi in South China. The first-class nationally protected wild animal is sometimes referred to as the "giant panda of the sea".

"White dolphins haven't received enough attention worldwide, nor have they been deeply researched. Many Westerners are still unaware of the existence of this species," said Pan, who, after graduating from Peking University in Beijing, moved to Qinzhou with her father in 2005 to research and protect the dolphins.

"Our understanding of the white dolphins is based on years of observation," she said.

Along the shores of Sanniang Bay live villagers who have relied on fishing for generations. Twenty years ago, villagers told Pan Yue's father, Pan Wenshi, about the presence of a white dolphin in the area.