Imagine you’re sailing down the beautiful Amazon River when a curious pink dolphin swims up alongside you.
Although this may sound like a fantasy, it is true that pink dolphins do exist and live in the Amazon region.
Growing up to 2.5 meters (8 feet) long and weighing about 180kg (400 pounds), the Amazon river dolphin is a giant among dolphins.
These unusual creatures thrive in temporary lakes caused by seasonal flooding and rivers in South America.
But it’s not just the size that makes the Amazon river dolphin unique; not only is it a freshwater dolphin, but it’s also pink!
However, they are not born pink, instead, they come to this world a dull grey colour, and the males turn pink as they enter adulthood.
Often, they are not clean pink, but they are speckled with grey patches due to callus from dolphin scarps.
They often become pinker due to external factors, such as when they become excited, or things like diet and exposure to sunlight.
It has also been hypothesized that pink helps dolphins blend in with their surroundings.
The Amazon River often turns a murky red-pink color, so male dolphins can camouflage better.
The Amazon River Dolphins were finally granted international protected status in 2018.
This species is one of five freshwater dolphin species and is related to the common saltwater ocean dolphin.
One final thing that sets these species apart from their distant cousins is that they have a hump on their back instead of having a dorsal fin.
The wetlands of the Amazon are home to many rare and beautiful species.
Discussion about this post