Once in a while, extraordinary creatures are spotted in Singapore waters, reminding us that not only is wildlife seen on land, but our waters are rich with biodiversity too.

On Jan. 5, one Jack Ong shared his serendipitous sighting of a pair of wild dolphins frolicking in the waters around Singapore.

Swimming gracefully

The short clip he posted to Facebook showed the mammals, which are likely to be Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins, gracefully turning swimming in the waters.

Ong told Mothership that this took place in the waters off Pasir Panjang, which is near his workplace.

The sighting actually occurred some time in September 2020.

Although the two dolphins appear more grey in this video, Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins are also sometimes known as pink dolphins due to the colouration of certain individuals in the species.

Ong revealed that it was his first time seeing wild dolphins in Singapore, and said that he was "excited" by the rare encounter and the idea that such creatures call these waters their home.

Shy creatures

Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins have been spotted from time to time around Singapore, with a spate of sightings at the end of 2020.

The sighting of dolphins in urbanised Singapore, as nature site Wild Singapore notes, could be an indication of good water quality.

Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins are locally endangered, according to the Red List of threatened animals in Singapore.

They are classified as "Vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The dolphins are threatened by water pollution, the loss of habitats, as well as drowning as a result of being trapped by abandoned fishing nets and lines.

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Top photo from Jack Ong