BRINNEY ROJAS – INGLES -SENATI 1

ÍNDICE
I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 3
II. AMAZON RIVER DOLPHIN (PINK DOLPHIN) SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION ..... 4
III. AMAZON RIVER DOLPHIN (PINK DOLPHIN) LOCATIONS ................................. 4
IV. AMAZON RIVER DOLPHIN (PINK DOLPHIN) CONSERVATION STATUS ......... 5
V. AMAZON RIVER DOLPHIN (PINK DOLPHIN) FACTS .............................................. 5
VI. AMAZON RIVER DOLPHIN (PINK DOLPHIN) PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
5
VII. SCIENTIFIC NAME AND HISTORY ......................................................................... 5
VIII. SPECIES ..................................................................................................................... 6
IX. APPEARANCE AND BEHAVIOR .............................................................................. 7
X. PINK DOLPHIN: WHY AMAZON RIVER DOLPHINS ARE ALSO KNOWN AS
“PINK DOLPHINS“ ................................................................................................................. 8
XI. HABITAT ...................................................................................................................... 9
XII. DIET ............................................................................................................................. 9
XIII. PREDATORS AND THREATS ................................................................................... 9
XIV. REPRODUCTION, BABIES AND LIFESPAN ........................................................ 10
XV. POPULATION ........................................................................................................... 11
XVI. AMAZING FACTS ABOUT THE AMAZON PINK RIVER DOLPHIN .................... 11
XVII. CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................... 15
XVIII. REFERENCIA BIBLIOGRÁFICA ......................................................................... 16

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 Amazon River Dolphin (Pink Dolphin)
I. INTRODUCTION

The pink dolphin has its origin in the Amazon river. It is a sociable, curious and
intelligent animal. It is also known as Boto, Amazon dolphin or Tonina, and it is
the most popular type of dolphin of the five species that inhabit rivers due, of
course, to its unusual pink color, in addition to being the largest. This creature is
among the endangered animals, it is called pink dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) is
friendly, social and curious by nature. It is the most intelligent of all river dolphin
species.

Every spring when the rains fall in South America, the Amazon River and its
tributaries begin to spill their banks. Eventually, thousands of square miles of
rainforest are flooded, creating a vast, tree-canopied sea. Into this seasonal sea,
which remains for half the year, swims the Amazon river dolphin, or boto. Botos
have the characteristic dolphin smile and, unlike their marine cousins, bulbous
foreheads and long, skinny beaks. Most strikingly, males can be pink. The
coloring is believed to be scar tissue from rough games or fighting over
conquests. The brighter the pink, the more attractive the males are to females—
at least during mating season, which takes place when the water has receded
and males and females are confined to the river channel again. During the wet
season, however, females venture far into the flooded forest, likely to escape the
aggressive males. A unique adaptation lets botos swim easily between trees and
through tangles of branches: unfused neck vertebrae, which allows them to bend
at up to a 90-degree angle. In addition, the boto’s long snout comes in handy for
rooting through river mud for crustaceans or darting among branches after small
fish. Echolocation allows them to navigate and find prey in the dark, muddy water.
Botos are the largest of the four river dolphin species, reaching up to eight feet
long and 450 pounds. They have powerful flippers and tail flukes and a modified
hump in place of a dorsal fin. Male botos sometimes beat the water with branches
or grasses held in their mouth, or even hold live turtles aloft, in courtship displays
aimed at impressing females. Females give birth to one calf after a pregnancy of
11 to 15 months. The young nurse for more than a year, staying close to their
mothers. Humans are the only threat to Amazon river dolphins, hunting them for

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catfish bait or trapping them accidentally in gill nets. Traditional Amazonian belief
holds that the boto is a magical being able to take the form of a human and come
ashore—with a hat to hide its telltale blowhole.

II. AMAZON RIVER DOLPHIN (PINK DOLPHIN) SCIENTIFIC

CLASSIFICATION

 KINGDOM: ANIMALIA
 PHYLUM: CHORDATA
 CLASS: MAMMALIA
 ORDER: CETACEA
 FAMILY: PLATANISTOIDEA
 GENUS: PLATANISTIDAE
 SCIENTIFIC NAME: PLATANISTOIDEA

III. AMAZON RIVER DOLPHIN (PINK DOLPHIN) LOCATIONS

The Amazon River dolphin is a South American mammal, distributed across the
drainage basins of the Orinoco and Amazon Rivers and primarily occurring in
rivers and streams with slow currents. As the wet season comes, the water level
increases, flooding surrounding forests. During this period, the dolphins usually
leave the deeper streams to swim through the trees.

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IV. AMAZON RIVER DOLPHIN (PINK DOLPHIN) CONSERVATION
STATUS

“ENDANGERED”

V. AMAZON RIVER DOLPHIN (PINK DOLPHIN) FACTS

 MAIN PREY: FISH, PRAWNS, FROGS

 HABITAT: LARGE TROPICAL RIVERS AND ESTUARIES
 PREDATORS: HUMAN
 DIET: CARNIVORE
 AVERAGE LITTER SIZE: 1
 LIFESTYLE: SCHOOL
 FAVORITE FOOD: FISH
 TYPE: MAMMAL
 SLOGAN: ALSO KNOWN AS THE 'PINK DOLPHIN'

VI. AMAZON RIVER DOLPHIN (PINK DOLPHIN) PHYSICAL

CHARACTERISTICS

 COLOR: GREY PINK

 SKIN TYPE: SMOOTH
 TOP SPEED: 18 MPH
 LIFESPAN: 12-18 YEARS
 WEIGHT: 100-200KG (220-440LBS)

VII. SCIENTIFIC NAME AND HISTORY

The Amazon river dolphin is also called a boto or the pink dolphin, and its
scientific name is Inia Geoffrensis. The animal’s common name comes from
where it often makes its home and its skin color. The name boto is the one used
by the natives. It is also a popular character in South American mythology. In
legends, pink dolphins have amazing musical skills and are seductive. They also
love parties. Some myths claim that the dolphins can shapeshift into human form

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and have magical abilities. Freshwater dolphins belong to the Mammalia class.
There are five extant species besides the Amazon river dolphin: Tucuxi river
dolphin, Ganges river dolphin,
Irrawaddy river dolphin, Indus
river dolphin, and the Yangtze
Finless Porpoise. It is unknown
how or when the dophin got into
the Amazon basin, but it may
have done so during the Miocene
period, entering from either the
Atlantic or Pacific Ocean before
the formation of the Andes.

VIII. SPECIES
There is considerable debate within the scientific community as to whether the
Amazon river dolphin is actually one, two, or potentially even three different
species.

In 2014, scientists in Brazil published research in the journal Plot One sayiing that
river dolphins in the Araguaia river were a unique species: the Araguaian river
dolphin (I. araguaiaensis).
Also, there has been
considerable debate as to
whether river dolphins living in
Bolivia are a unique species.

As of 2020, the IUCN

recognizes three subspecies:
the Amazon river dolphin (I. g. geoffrensis), the Bolivian river dolphin (I. g.
boliviensis), and the Orinoco river dolphin (I. g. humboldtiana).

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IX. APPEARANCE AND BEHAVIOR
The pink river dolphin features that distinctive dolphin smile. They have rounded
foreheads and long, slender beaks. While other river dolphin species — such as
the Ganges river dolphin — have dimorphism where females are larger than
males, the opposite is true in Amazon river dolphins. Males can grow to be about
50% larger than females and weigh in excess of 400 pounds (180 kg).

The animal has conical-

shaped teeth that they use to
catch small fish and other prey.
The river dolphin features a
long nose that can measure up
to 23 inches long, and this is
about four times longer than
the nose of ocean dolphins.
The river dolphin has a two-
chambered stomach, and they breath by emitting air through a blowhole.

Pink dolphins swim with great precision. Because river dolphins are extremely
flexible, they can maneuver around rocks, tree trunks and other objects. They
also have the ability to swim forward using one flipper while the other flipper
paddles backward. This swimming method lets them make tight turns. River
dolphins also like to swim upside down.

River dolphins have exceptionally large brains, and while dolphins are known for
swimming in groups, river dolphins tend to spend more time alone or among small
groups of two to four dolphins. You might see a bigger group of them in areas that
are rich with food, but it’s less common with river dolphins.

The Amazon river dolphin doesn’t have a dorsal fin. Instead, it sports a modified
hump. The animal makes its way through rivers and flooded areas using strong
flippers and a tail fluke. Compared to oceanic dolphins, pink dolphins swim slowly.
Their top speed is around 35 miles per hour. The reason for this is that their neck
vertebrae are not fused. This gives them more flexibility, but it means that they

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can’t swim as fast. River dolphins are able to turn their heads without shifting their
bodies.

River dolphins have unique ear adaptions to help them survive in their watery
environment. Dolphins hear sound from their throats instead of from their outer
ear to their inner ear. The animal’s ear is also acoustically separated from its
head. Separating these two body parts are sinus pockets. The combination gives
the animal enhanced directional hearing under the water. Dolphins use an organ
called a melon to emit high frequency clicks. This allows them to produce bio
sonar. They use it to orient themselves.

Dolphins are reliant on echolocation. The animal species uses echolocation so

well that a river dolphin could survive even if it were blind. Echolocation lets the
animal determine the size and shape of any surrounding item or object. River
dolphins have small eyes, and they are unable to see well. Also, their eyes are
on the sides of their heads. This means that their vision features two separate
views instead of the forward view that people see.

Researchers believe that some types of pink dolphins are blind while others just
have extremely poor eyesight. These dolphins, like their saltwater cousins, are
friendly and curious about humans. That can be a problem, considering their
eyesight: a number of the animals are killed because they inadvertently come into
contact with nets and fishing boats.

X. PINK DOLPHIN: WHY AMAZON RIVER DOLPHINS ARE ALSO

KNOWN AS “PINK DOLPHINS“
One of the defining features
of Amazon river dolphins is
they often turn pink.
Scientists are still
researching the reasons for
this unique coloration, but a
few theories stand out.
Fighting: While not
aggressive with humans,
Amazon pink river dolphins will often fight one another and leave significant
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amounts of scar tissue. It’s hypothesized this scar tissue turns pink, and is a
reason why older males tend to have the most distinctive pink coloration.

Camouflage: Amazon pink river dolphins live in rivers along the Amazon rain
forrest which are often inundated with incredible amounts of rain. This high level
of rainfall causes the muddy bottoms of rivers to turn a red/pink hue. Amazon pink
river dolphins may have simply evolved to better blend in with their surroundings.

It’s important to note that most Amazon river dolphins are born with gray tones,
and males tend to become more pink as they age. In addition, this pink coloration
normally covers parts of their body while areas of grey remain. It’s hypothesized
that males with more pink coloration are better able to attract mates.

XI. HABITAT
Amazon pink river dolphins live in freshwater areas including lakes, enormous
rivers and small tributaries. As the Amazon is fed by large stretches of rain forrest,
every year it floods its banks for extended periods of time. During this period,
Amazon pink river dolphins will expand across the vast inland seas that are
created in floodplains.

You’ll find them in Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador, Brazil, Venezuela and Peru. The
Amazon pink river dolphin also lives in the Amazon and Orinoco riverways and in
the Araguaia River.

XII. DIET
Amazon river dolphins have teeth that are similar to the molar teeth that humans
have. Like people, the animals use their teeth to break up food before swallowing
it. River dolphins aren’t picky about what they eat. The mammals will dine on
turtles, shrimp, crabs and more than 40 different species of fish including
piranhas.

XIII. PREDATORS AND THREATS

Animals that prey on the river dolphin include large snakes, jaguars and caimans.
However, once the species has passed adolescence they have few natural
predators.

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Human development and farming have had a major impact on the habitats of the
river dolphin. These activities have impacted the ecology of the waterways.
Human fishing is also threatening the species. Overfishing is a problem because
it decreases the animal’s food supply. The dolphins also get caught in the nets.

Pollution is another threat to

the Amazon river dolphin.
Small gold mining operations
cause mercury pollution, and
this makes its way to dolphins
through the food chain. River
dolphins eat a lot of catfish,
which dwell on the bottom of
waterways where mercury
generally accumulates.

Amazon river dolphins are endangered. The Brazilian Institute of Environment

and Renewable Natural Resources has taken steps to protect the dolphin
species. They’ve made it illegal for fishermen to kill the dolphins.

XIV. REPRODUCTION, BABIES AND LIFESPAN

In South America, spring is the rainy season. During this time, acres and acres of
rainforest floods, turning into an enormous tree-covered sea. The water becomes
deep enough for the river
dolphins to swim amongst
the trees. Mating season
occurs when the water
recedes, and the male and
female dolphins are
constricted to the river
channels. The dolphin
species is polygamous,
meaning males mate with several females each year. However, females don’t
mate every year. They mate every two to three years.

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Female river dolphins are more attracted to males that are a brighter shade of
pink. To impress the females, male river dolphins smack the water with bunches
of grasses or branches in their mouths. Sometimes, they hold up a turtle to
capture the attention of a female. When a female river dolphin becomes pregnant,
she’ll carry the calf for 11 to 15 months. The animal species gives birth to just one
calf. After a baby dolphin is born, it will nurse for over a year. Baby dolphins are
often around 30 inches long, and they weigh around 22 pounds. Adult female
dolphins usually have their calves from July to September. Once they’re born,
babies remain close to their mothers for protection.

Sexual maturity is based on the dolphin’s size. When a female reaches 5.5 feet
in length, she becomes sexually mature. Males reach the stage once they’re 7
feet long. In the wild, river dolphins live for an average of 12 to 18 years, but they
can live for as long as 30 years.

XV. POPULATION
The Amazon river dolphin population is difficult to estimate because the dolphins
live in remote, muddy waters and lack a distinctive dorsal fin that makes spotting
them easier. Nonetheless, the
population is thought to be over
10,000.

However, river dolphins are under

threat. For instance, the
Araguaian river dolphin
population is from 600 to 1,500
animals.

XVI. AMAZING FACTS ABOUT THE AMAZON PINK RIVER DOLPHIN

Fact 1. The Amazon pink river dolphin can change its color!

Although Amazon pink river dolphins are famous for its pink hue, they weren’t
born this way. The dolphins are actually born gray and slowly turn pink as they
age. Male dolphins are strikingly pinker than their female counterparts; the
coloration thought to be a product of scar tissue resulting from rough games or

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fighting over conquests. However, their final color can be influenced by their
behavior, capillary placement, diet, and exposure to sunlight; with brighter pinks
attracting more attention from the females. These river dolphins can sport
markings that range
from mostly gray with
some pink spots, to full
flamingo pink.

Fun fact: when the

dolphins get excited,
they can flush a
brighter pink, similar to
humans!

Fact 2. The Amazon pink river dolphin has the largest bodies and brains of any
freshwater dolphin.

The Amazon pink river dolphin is the largest and smartest out of the five
freshwater species. A full-grown dolphin can grow up to 9 feet (2.7 meters) long,
weigh up to 400 pounds (181 kilograms), and live to 30 years old. Their diet is the
most diverse amongst toothed whales (especially during the wet season),
consisting of more than 53 species, including piranhas. They also have unusually
large brains, with 40 percent more brain capacity than humans! While they are
known to be shy creatures, they are fascinatingly drawn to people, playing
curiously with local children, and without demonstrating aggressive behavior.
They also communicate using high-frequency sonar clicks to build a three-
dimensional echogram of their dark riverine world.

Fact 3. The Amazon pink river dolphin is secretive in nature.

It is an enigma as to how many “botos” exist in the Amazon, as the International

Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists them as ‘data deficient’. Part of this
status is because while dolphins have a reputation for gathering in groups, the
pink river dolphin is often seen alone or in small groups of 2-4 individuals, usually
mother and young. One challenge in counting them is that the riverine waters are
often murky with silt. Another is that they do not go out of their way to make
themselves seen, often putting only the tips of their heads out of the water. They

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spend a lot of time underwater, and their shy and elusive behavior adds to their
mythical quality.

Paradoxically, the good news is that despite living in small groups, Amazon pink
river dolphins are incredibly curious and outgoing animals towards humans. They
can be frequently spotted playing in the river by our guests during our skiff
excursions.

Fact 4. The Amazon pink river dolphin are gymnasts of the water.

Pink river dolphins are super agile, as the vertebrae in their necks are unfused,
unlike other dolphins. The ability to turn their heads to an angle of 90 degrees
allows them to maneuver around tree trunks, rocks, and other obstacles. They
can also swim forward with one flipper while paddling backward with the other,
letting them turn with more precision. They can often be seen swimming upside
down, possibly to help them see the bottom of the river better. Despite their small
eyes they have good sight above and underwater and have no trouble navigating
the Amazon’s muddy waters to catch their prey thanks to an excellent sense of
echolocation.

Fact 5. The Amazon pink river dolphin is considered a mythical creature.

The Amazon pink river dolphin is the subject of many South American folklore,
not all benevolent. One such
legend claims that the
dolphins morph into
handsome men known as
“boto encantado” to seduce
and impregnate womenfolk
by night. Another claims that
if you go swimming alone,
the dolphins may whisk you
away to a magical underwater city, which has led to the local fear of going near
the water between dusk and dawn, or entering water bodies solo. Some also
believe them to be the guardians of the Amazon manatees, so those who wish to
see a manatee must first reconcile with the pink dolphin. It is considered bad luck
to harm the dolphins, and even worse luck to eat them. In the Peruvian Amazon,

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the status of the pink river dolphin as a semi-magical being may have helped
protect the species by encouraging local communities to treat them well and
preserve their numbers. Unfortunately, other threats such as environmental
pollution, by-catch, and deliberate killing of dolphins for bait in fisheries still pose
a threat. The most recent assessment by the IUCN Red List in 2018 categorizes
the species as “endangered” as evidence suggests its total population size has
decreased 50% or more over a period of 75 years. That same year, the Peruvian
Government approved the ‘National Action Plan for the Conservation of River
Dolphins and the Amazonian Manatee’ — a critical step in the conservation of
these species integrating scientific research such as ecological and population
studies.

Want to see Amazon pink river dolphins up close?

If you want to witness these friendly, yet elusive creatures up close in the Peruvian
Amazon, knowledgeable guides are a must. We know this for a fact, and that is
why our naturalist guides are local born-and-bred, with years of experience on
the Amazonian way of life. We dare say some of the dolphins even recognize
them!

AMAZON RIVER DOLPHIN (PINK DOLPHIN) FAQS (FREQUENTLY ASKED

QUESTIONS)

Are River Dolphins Carnivores, Herbivores or Omnivores?

Amazon river dolphins are carnivores. They only eat meat.

Are River Dolphins Dangerous to Humans

Most of the time, dolphins are not dangerous to humans. In fact, the animals are
super curious, friendly and generally approachable. They often have fun with
humans by teasing them and seeking their attention. There are even accounts of
the species protecting people from sharks or helping a lost person make his or
her way back to land.

The only time that dolphins are likely to harm humans is if they are agitated or
provoked. If you come across a river dolphin and want to feed him or her, keep in
mind that it might be prohibited.

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 How Do Dolphins Sleep?

Most dolphin species sleep by resting one hemisphere of their brain in what’s
called slow-wave sleep. During this state, they stay alert enough to keep
breathing and look out for predators. The Indus river dolphin sleeps differently.
Since the animal lives in waters with powerful currents and a great deal of floating
debris, the dolphin must stay alert to avoid becoming injured. To stay safe, the
dolphin sleeps in short four to 60 second spurts.

Are Amazon River Dolphins actually pink?

Some are. Amazon river dolphins are born grey and turn varying degrees of pink
throughout their life. Males tend to become especially pink as they age. It’s
believed this pink coloration is the result of their aggressive behavior, with teeth
marks from other males leading to pink scar tissue that eventually covers the
majority of their body.

XVII. CONCLUSION

The Amazon river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) is a species of toothed whale. It is the
largest species of river dolphin, and it has one of the widest-ranging diets among
toothed whales. The Amazon river dolphin has been treated with suspicion by
local people. Moreover, it is the subject of numerous myths and tales. According
to one of the stories, Amazon river dolphins become handsome men in order to
seduce young women, coming to the water.

It is a relatively abundant freshwater cetacean with an estimated population in the

tens of thousands. However, it is classified as vulnerable in certain areas due to
dams that fragment and threaten certain populations, and from other threats such
as contamination of rivers and lakes.

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XVIII. REFERENCIA BIBLIOGRÁFICA
National Geographic Partners, LLC (2023). Amazon River Dolphin.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/amazon-river-
dolphin

Aqua Expeditions (2019). 5 amazing facts about the Amazon Pink River Dolphin.
https://www.aquaexpeditions.com/blog/amazon/facts-amazon-pink-river-dolphin/

AZ Animals Staff (2023). Amazon River Dolphin (Pink Dolphin). https://a-z-

animals.com/animals/pink-dolphin/

Rodriguez H (2023). Animales en peligro de extinción.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com.es/naturaleza/grandes-
reportajes/animales-peligro-extincion_12536

ANIMALIA (2023). DELFÍN ROSADO. https://animalia.bio/es/amazon-river-

dolphin

WWF Factsheet (2005). The pink river dolphin is the largest freshwater dolphin
in the world. https://www.wwf.org.pe/?21574/Pink-River-Dolphin-WWF-
Factsheet

Hospital veterinari (2021). The pink dolphin, a freshwater mammal.

https://www.hospitalveterinariglories.com/pink-dolphin/?lang=en

World Wildlife Fund (2023). FACTS.

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/amazon-river-
dolphin#:~:text=The%20Amazon%20river%20dolphin%2C%20also,Guyana%2
C%20Peru%2C%20and%20Venezuela.

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