On 19 March 2026, Pink Dolphin Fund held the inaugural Pink Dolphin Awards at Dorsett Kai Tak, Hong Kong. The event brought together representatives from marine conservation, research, public institutions, international organisations, media and the wider community around a shared concern: protecting Chinese White Dolphins and the coastal ecosystems on which they depend.
A platform for conservation awareness
The ceremony was conceived as more than an awards presentation. It provided a public-facing platform for conservation communication, education and cross-sector engagement. Through expert participation, visual storytelling and community performance, the programme encouraged audiences to consider Chinese White Dolphin protection as part of the wider responsibility to safeguard marine habitats and ecological resilience.
Pink Dolphin Fund used the occasion to reinforce a long-term message: effective conservation depends not only on scientific knowledge, but also on public understanding, institutional cooperation and sustained attention to the relationship between people and the ocean.
Three contributions recognised
Three awards were presented during the inaugural ceremony, recognising work in public communication, policy leadership and international conservation impact.
Ocean Wave Maker Award
The Chinese White Dolphin documentary production team of CCTV, Guangdong Radio and Television, and Zhuhai Media Group.
The award recognised the production team’s contribution to increasing public understanding of Chinese White Dolphins through documentary storytelling and visual communication.
Ocean Policy Leader Award
Dr Lindsay Porter OBE
The award recognised Dr Porter’s longstanding contribution to marine-mammal research, conservation advocacy and the translation of scientific knowledge into public and policy engagement.
Ocean Impact Award
IUCN Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force
The award recognised the Task Force’s international work to identify Important Marine Mammal Areas and strengthen the evidence base for marine planning and habitat protection. Deputy Chair Simone Panigada received the award on behalf of the Task Force.
Public engagement through performance
Members of The Hong Kong Children’s Choir contributed to the evening’s public-education programme. Intermediate 3A opened the ceremony with “A New Day” and later performed a specially adapted marine-themed work, while a dance presentation portrayed the relationship between people and dolphins.
The performances connected the conservation message with younger audiences and demonstrated how music, movement and storytelling can make marine awareness more accessible.
From recognition to continued action
The awards highlighted different but complementary forms of conservation contribution: communicating the story of a threatened species, supporting research-informed policy, and identifying habitats of international importance.
For Pink Dolphin Fund, the event formed part of a wider commitment to public education, marine stewardship and long-term awareness of the pressures facing Chinese White Dolphins. The Fund will continue to use conservation communication, partnerships and responsible public engagement to encourage greater attention to the health of the region’s marine environment.
