Coast guard officers in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region met a family of Bryde's whales in southern China during a routine patrol.

On Wednesday, members of the Beihai Coast Guard came across the creatures and slowed the vessel to avoid disturbing them. They also reminded vessels passing by to keep their distance from the animals.

The Bryde's whale, mainly seen in tropical and subtropical waters, is regarded as a mysterious species of cetaceans, with a body length of 10 to 12 meters and a weight of up to 15 metric tons. Research is limited worldwide with regard to this rare species.

The frequent appearance of the Bryde's whale makes Weizhou Island the only large-scale cetacean predation spot discovered in China's coastal waters since the 1980s.

An increasing number of visitors go to Weizhou Island to watch the Bryde's whales. The whales are also facing challenges such as vessel noises and plastic pollution.

The local coast guard sent a team to patrol the area to stop disorderly whale-watching, persuade fishing boats to leave the area and promote whale protection.

The team also cleans up floating ocean waste on a regular basis to ensure a clean marine environment.

"Seeing the happy and healthy whales jumping in and out of the water, I feel very joyful," said coast guard member Bi Zhengyang.