A male dolphin rescued by fishermen in June after being washed ashore in East China's Fujian Province, has been named Gulei, a name that sounds similar to the English word "great."

The name was chosen from a list of 120 proposed by local residents since the Xiamen Aquarium began soliciting suggestions through the local media. The dolphin has received medical treatment at the aquarium for the past six months.

The final choice of name was made by aquarium head Lin Yuhui, oceanographer Huang Zongguo and a group of teenage students in Xiamen.

The peninsula where the dolphin was found is called Gulei and, as a transliteration of the English word "great," the name also symbolizes the invaluable friendship between humans and animals, explained Lin.

Gulei is the first beached dolphin to be saved on the Chinese mainland.

Fishermen found the wounded animal stranded on a beach in Zhangpu County in Fujian on June 25. A college student specializing in marine life, who happened to be on the beach, gave first aid to the animal and reported the find to local fishery authorities. The dolphin was moved to the Xiamen Aquarium the next day.

The dolphin, which is 2.48 meters long and estimated to be between five and eight years old, has recovered from several injuries and a serious case of gastritis. He can now eat up to 7.5 kilograms of fish a day, said a worker at the aquarium.

The animal has learned to entertain visitors by shaking their hands with a fin and by balancing a ball on his head.

(Xinhua News Agency January 3, 2003)