Tourists squeal in delight seeing 50+ short-finned pilot whales

Tourists squeal in delight seeing 50+ short-finned pilot whales

2026-05-22

An incredible scene unfolded off the coast of Hualien on Thursday, as a massive pod of more than 50 short-finned pilot whales appeared together in the open ocean. The lucky tourists on two whale-watching boat tours caught a sight of mothers and calves swimming side by side. But the star of the show was that the whales were peeking their heads above the surface, in a rare behavior known as “spyhopping.” It marks the first appearance of short-finned pilot whales off Hualien this year, and it was unusually early, as they usually only show up in late summer.

A boat cuts through the waves of the Pacific Ocean and happens onto a group of whales surfacing from the sea and blasting mist into the air. Wow. This huge pod of short-finned pilot whales was spotted off the coast of Hualien on Thursday, the first one of the season. Tourists were delighted.

There were dozens of whales out for a swim, some of which brought their little ones along. Hearts melted when a couple of the whales poked their heads straight out of the water for a peek at the humans. This behavior, known as spyhopping is a rare treat.

Chen Hung-ming
Whale-watching tour guide
There’s a better chance of seeing them in late summer or early autumn. This last time, we saw more than 50 pilot whales. There were mothers with their calves. And what’s more, we were lucky to catch them spyhopping.

Short-finned pilot whales have stocky bodies and rounded foreheads. They are also commonly known as “blackfish” despite being part of the dolphin family. They mostly live in the deep ocean waters. Whale-watching tour operators say only six boats encountered the species last year, and their first sighting didn’t occur until August. This year they are unusually early and numerous.

Chen Hung-ming
Whale-watching tour guide
Since they were spyhopping, we suspect they might be monitoring the sea surface and checking out the environment. We saw them peek up many times, which is extremely rare. It’s something we will treasure even after so many years observing pilot whales.

The appareance of the majestic whales left the tourists squealing in awe, but even for experienced whale-watchers it’s an unforgettable memory.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#hualien #whale #nature #cute #whalewatching #traveltaiwan

震撼! 超過50隻"短肢領航鯨"集體現身 "罕見浮窺"畫面曝

2026-05-22

花蓮外海出現超震撼畫面！昨天(21)賞鯨船上午接連兩個航班，直擊超過50隻"短肢領航鯨"集體現身，不只有母子同行，還幸運拍下相當罕見的「浮窺」行為，讓賞鯨船的遊客全看嗨了，因為這是今年花蓮外海首度出現，而且比往年還提早兩個多月現身。

乘風破浪出海，一望無際的太平洋海面上，一隻又一隻，黑色巨大身影接連浮出海面，還不時噴出水氣，場面超震撼。花蓮外海，週四(21)出現今年首波大型短肢領航鯨群，讓賞鯨船上的遊客又驚又喜。

數一數，數十隻領航鯨集體悠游，仔細看，還能發現小小幼鯨緊黏媽媽身旁。最可愛的是，還有領航鯨把頭直直探出海面，像是在偷偷觀察船隻，模樣相當可愛。而這種行為被稱作「浮窺」，平時很少見，這次全被遊客幸運拍下。

[[賞鯨業者解說員陳弘鳴]]
“我們通常要在夏天的尾段，秋天開始才會比較常有機會。(5/21)發現的短支領航鯨，有發現大約50多隻的群體，並且有母子隊，但今天有一個相當特別的行為，是我們相當難得可以觀察到的，就是牠們有浮窺上的動作。”

短肢領航鯨身體敦實，前額較圓，是屬於海豚科黑鯨類，雖然名字帶有「鯨」字，但牠是海豚的親戚，多半深海活動。根據賞鯨業者紀錄，去年一整年也只有6個航班，目睹短肢領航鯨，而且首次出現還等到了8月；沒想到今年不只提早現身，還如此大陣仗。

[[賞鯨業者解說員陳弘鳴]]
“透過這樣的(浮窺)行為，我們猜測說，牠們應該是在監測跟監看海面，海面周遭的環境的狀況是如何。有發現有蠻多次浮窺的行為動作，這是我們在過去幾年，觀察管制領航鯨的一個狀況，裡面是非常難能可貴可以觀察到的行為。”

這回超萌又超壯觀的領航鯨大軍提前現身，也讓花蓮夏季賞鯨季，驚喜滿滿。

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An elementary school in Pingtung recently hosted an event at which children lined up to pour water over a Buddha statue and pay respects, after which they were rewarded with treats. But parents were shocked after seeing the photos afterward, asking how their school seemed to become a worship venue.

Young students line up in a school courtyard. If you look closely at the front of the line, there’s a religious statue, the students take turns stepping forward to pay their respects. The sight left parents shaken.

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This was at an elementary school in Pingtung City. As photos from the event began to circulate among parents, many were upset that the school didn’t communicate with them beforehand, exposing their kids to a religious practice without warning.

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In response to the parental backlash, the Pingtung County Department of Education intervened to investigate. They said that while it was intended as a character-building exercise, schools must remain neutral, respect freedom of religion, and communicate better with parents to avoid misunderstandings.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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Historic footage reveals Pingtung market sharing railway tracks

Many visitors to Thailand are sure to visit the famous Mae Klong Railway Market to see the vendors hurriedly collect their wares from the tracks to get out of the way of an oncoming train. But did you know that Pingtung used to have a similar market?, historian Chiu Tsai-yen and Taiwan Film Culture Co got together to document this page in Taiwan’s history.

Here at the Mae Klong Railway Market in Thailand, vendors do business right up next to the tracks. When a train comes, everyone gives way just enough for it to pass. But did you know that Pingtung also used to have a market just like it?

This documentary footage from 30 years ago shows a market in Pingtung’s North District. When a train comes, the vendors bring their wares inside, then bring them back out again when it passes. Ms. Yang, wearing a track jacket as she pushes her Hakka rice cake stall back into place, still sells in the same market all these years later.

Ms. Yang
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Oh, there, there! That’s me. Taisugar’s train carrying sugarcane was running. If I heard a whistle, I’d hurry over there.

Fishmonger Mr. Chang used to bring his son with him to work. Now that the son is grown, he followed in his father’s footsteps to also become a fishmonger.

Mr. Chang
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I was still little then, around second grade. When the train was coming it would sound a horn and we’d quickly move the stall out of the way.

Historian Chiu Tsai-yen and Taiwan Film Culture Co filmed the area in front of Taisugar’s Pingtung factory before it closed to preserve the unique scenes of that era.

Chiu Tsai-yen
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When I was little, I loved those sugar trains. When I saw one, I’d go running after it. Two or three years before they stopped, I started documenting them. Until they actually stopped running in 1997, I systematically documented each route, covering every inch.

Looking at the market now, you can still see some traces of the old railway track. Although there are no longer trains carrying sugarcane through here, the memories live on in the minds of the locals.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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Alishan artist creates leather workshop, homestay to share her Tsou culture

Leye Village in Chiayi’s beautiful Alishan has a leatherwork studio founded by local artist Chiu Mei-hui. She’s passionate about promoting handmade leatherwork and allows visitors to try out carving for themselves. Chiu’s assistant is none other than her 10-year-old daughter. After playing in the workshop ever since she was one year old, she was destined to fall in love with the traditional Tsou craft. The family also runs a log-cabin homestay for visitors to experience their culture on a deeper level.

Rhythmic tapping echoes through the workshop as focused visitors hammer into leather. Some are carving animal patterns, or maybe English letters and numbers. Each piece is a unique keepsake.

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- The instructor taught us to align the sight markers properly and not to be afraid of hitting our hands.
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Weaving through this crowd of adults is someone special. She’s not a kid here to experience leather working. She’s the instructor of this class, and all her students are actually prospective school principals from around Chiayi County.

Liang Chun-yen
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Most of our prospective principals and teachers are ethnically Han people from the lowlands. They rarely get an opportunity like this to immerse in indigenous culture.

- I started when I was around five years old.

With her youthful face, she demonstrates leather carving with a strength and precision that’s beyond her years. The secret behind 10-year-old Pei-chi’s skill is that she’s the daughter of Chiu Mei-hui, the artist behind this studio in Alishan’s Leye Village.

Chiu Mei-hui
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Ever since she was a little over a year old, this was basically her toy box. Every day, she’d dump all the tools out and hammer at random. She kept playing like that, and eventually I said, “That’s your play area. “

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Chiu Mei-hui’s journey into the world of leather working was also an unexpected blessing.

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I picked up leather carving while I was caring for the kids. I was just at home and the village happened to start a class. I was bored and decided to check it out. I didn’t expect that as I kept going, I’d develop a passion for it.

Beyond helping tourists connect with the land through leatherwork, they wondered if they could take the experience even further. The family therefore decided to create a homestay as well, all from scratch. The Tsou style is immediately apparent in these cozy log cabins. Drawing back the curtains reveals layers of lush mountains, like a painting just outside the window.

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The decorations in the rooms use a traditional indigenous color palette. My husband built the entire place by hand. We also offer indigenous-style barbecue for our guests. So while offering different things like accommodation, food, and activities, we can also share some of our traditional Tsou stories.

Every year from April to June is firefly season. Mihu Trail just off the Alishan Highway is known as an easy place to see them.

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A trip to Alishan is the perfect escape from the daily grind, inviting travelers to slow down and reconnect with nature.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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A couple of days ago we brought you the story of a man who finally got his iPhone back after a big fish gobbled it up. The device was stuck inside the fish for at least eight whole months, but still retained its shape. Now it’s time for something really special. Let’s see if it still works.

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The phone wiped clean and the station all set up, plus the amulet’s spiritual support, it’s time for the big reveal.

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A quick recap on how the phone ended up in the fish. The owner, Mr. Chen is a food reporter. In September last year, while he was filming at a fish farm in Yong’an, Kaohsiung, a giant grouper suddenly leapt from the water and swiped his phone from him. Almost immediately after that, another 150cm-long giant grouper swallowed it whole. After the fish died very recently, the farm gutted it and found the device, still held together in spite of corrosion and surface scratches. It’s all so surreal that a “power-on ceremony” was called for.

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Alas, the phone no longer functions. But the fact that it kept its shape after more than eight months inside a fish is already quite a miracle. Mr. Chen says he’ll be keeping it as a memento.

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As for the issue raised by Hung Cao, he himself acknowledged that the decision is not in his hands. It is a variable and a concern, but it does not represent the final call. Frankly speaking, the space Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party now have was created by the KMT and TPP delaying the review of the special national defense budget in the legislature.

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AMD CEO Lisa Su talks AI industry trends, opportunities for Taiwan

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In conversation with the CommonWealth Magazine in Taipei, AMD CEO Lisa Su talked business trends in AI and alliances with Taiwanese players. She praised their culture of friendly competition.

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Su was also asked about the company’s view on the Chinese market. On Wednesday, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said in an interview with CSBC that his company has largely conceded the Chinese market for high-end chips.

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US companies including AMD are strengthening their partnership with Taiwan amid ongoing US-China tech rivalry.

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Huang En-lin
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Mr. Chen came to this boxing gym in Songshan District to compete. After a technical knockout, he felt unwell and went to the hospital. Four days later, he was pronounced dead.

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In cases like this, at first, the symptoms might not be serious or obvious. But they gradually get worse. The most concerning development clinically is delayed brain hemorrhage.

Police have referred two suspects for investigation on suspicion of negligent homicide: that’s the gym operator, and Mr. Chen’s opponent, a 27-year-old man surnamed Hsu. Mr. Hsu was shocked and saddened by the incident, allegedly saying that he hadn’t meant to beat Mr. Chen to death. Whether the gym bears responsibility, and whether there were shortcomings in relation to safety inspections and oversight remains to be seen.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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