THE MAGICAL PINK DOLPHIN OF THE AMAZON

  

The pink river dolphin is a unique and spectacular species that inhabits some rivers of the Amazon rainforest and has been an integral part of the folklore and worldview of native cultures for hundreds of years. Unfortunately, this dolphin species is endangered due to river pollution, accidental fishing, and the human presence that has been gradually encroaching on its habitats. The pink river dolphin belongs to the order Cetacea and the family Inia geoffrensis.

 

  

Measuring 2.5 meters in length and weighing approximately 160 kilograms, the Amazon river dolphin is a robust and muscular animal. Unlike its ocean-dwelling relatives, the pink river dolphin owes its color to an abnormally high number of red blood cells, giving it a unique and distinctive appearance. But in addition to its color, the pink river dolphin is also characterized by its high intelligence and its ability to socialize with other animals and even with humans.

 

 

 

 

This dolphin lives in groups of 8 to 20 individuals, is very active during the day, and feeds mainly on fish, crustaceans, turtles, and mollusks. Like marine dolphins, it uses its sonar for geolocation to hunt its prey. The pink river dolphin reaches sexual maturity at 6 years of age, and the gestation period for females is 11 months. They give birth to a single calf that spends the first two years of its life with its mother.

 

Its medium-sized but long dorsal fin and large pectoral fins, along with its medium size and the lack of fusion of its cervical vertebrae, give it a great capacity for maneuvering to swim among the flooded forests of the jungle to hunt its prey. Its unique color has attracted the attention of many hunters who have taken them to various aquariums around the world, but unfortunately it is a species that almost never reproduces in captivity and is very difficult to train.

 

  

 

The lifespan of the pink river dolphin in its natural habitat is unknown; however, some individuals that have lived in captivity live between 10 and 30 years. Natives of the Amazon rainforest tell legends that pink river dolphins transform into handsome young men on nights of the full moon and go to the villages to seduce women and then kidnap them. Another legend says that the spirits of people who have drowned in the Amazon rivers are trapped in pink river dolphins.

 

 
 

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