Conservationists have shared spellbinding footage of Amazon river dolphins tumbling and rolling in front of the camera.
"River dolphins are rare, unique, and wonderful,” says Emily Cunningham, Global Lead – WWF River Dolphin Rivers Initiative.
These enigmatic mammals don’t look like their marine cousins, she says: “nor do the different species look the same as each other. Some river dolphins have long, slender beaks (snouts) and tiny eyes, some have no beak at all, and one species is bubblegum pink.”
These dolphins don’t just stand out for their baby pink colour. Unlike marine dolphins, they also have flexible necks that let them turn their heads from side to side. Along with the ability to paddle forward with one fin and backwards with another, this helps the dolphins navigate flooded forests – avoiding trees – when water levels are high.
While dolphins prancing in the ocean is a familiar sight to many, seeing a river dolphin is much rarer. There are only tens of thousands of Amazon river dolphins – also known as boto – left in the Amazon and Orinoco River basins where they live.
“All species of river dolphins are endangered or critically endangered,” says Cunningham. “This is due to bycatch (where they get caught in fishing nets), changes in river flow due to dams, irrigation channels and climate change, and pollution. River dolphins are vital in maintaining the health of their rivers, which are the lifeblood for over one billion people worldwide.”
WWF shared this footage to raise awareness of Freshwater Dolphin Day and the importance of protecting these unique animals.
“River dolphins maintain the health of the rivers, on which we as people depend,” says Maria José Torres – Communication Officer Terrestrial Landscapes WWF Ecuador. The charity works with local communities to monitor pink dolphins (Inia geoffrensis) and gray dolphins (Sotalia fluviatis), both found in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
“They are the guardians of the freshwater that guarantees the permanence of the jungle. A living Amazon is key to maintaining the balance of the entire planet,” she says.
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