| The Amazon River Dolphin is an endangered species, | | | | that have spinal bifida, and hence a hole at the top of |
| listed so by the International Union for Conservation of | | | | their spine, similar to that of a dolphin blowhole, are |
| Nature, and therefore is in danger of extinction; that | | | | believed to be the children of the Boto, or Pink River |
| would be an absolute tragedy. Not the only fresh | | | | Dolphin. |
| water dolphin, but definitely the most recognizable, they | | | | The Amazon River Dolphin is also known as Boto, |
| are actually not even in the same family as the | | | | Boto Cor de Rosa, Bufeo, Bufeo Colorado, Tonina, |
| sea-going dolphin and it can be argued that they are | | | | Boutu or Nay. Its pink coloring doesn't come from its |
| not only considerably larger but superbly smarter. Their | | | | diet, as does that of the Flamingo, but is due instead to |
| brains are 40% larger than that of man. | | | | its blood vessels that lie so close to the surface of |
| Part of the reason that most of us don't know of | | | | their skin, which is also quite a bit thinner than their |
| them is that they inhabit the Orinoco, the Amazon and | | | | oceanic cousins. Amazingly, just like humans, the |
| the Araguaiaa/Tocantins River Systems of Brazil, | | | | Amazon River Dolphin can blush when excited or |
| Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Columbia and Venezuela. Unlike | | | | angry, though blushing out of shyness is most likely not |
| the ocean dolphins, the Amazon has not been | | | | in their nature. It is also true that the Pink River Dolphin |
| explored to the great extent that the oceans have | | | | can be different shades of pink, interspersed or tinted |
| and is just now becoming populated and traversed like | | | | with shades of grey, brown and white. There are also |
| other rivers and oceans worldwide. What is in the | | | | albinos of the species though they are a bit hard to |
| Amazon will stay in the Amazon, so to speak, as it still | | | | identify as they are a pinkish-white and hard to |
| goes through lands inhabited widely by peoples native | | | | differentiate from a "normally" colored dolphin. |
| to the countries through which the Amazon winds, a | | | | Besides their size and color, one other huge difference |
| vastly wild land in and of itself. | | | | between them and their salt-water relatives is their |
| Another reason that they are not captured, studied | | | | lack of a dorsal fin. They appear to have a hump on |
| and displayed to the extent that other dolphin species | | | | their back where the back of a dorsal fin would have |
| are may be due to the Amazon River folklore. Natives | | | | developed. They almost seem to be in a state of |
| believe that these pink dolphins are actually | | | | arrested development, due to this lack, though their |
| changelings; changing at night into a handsome young | | | | gracefulness in their environment would give the lie to |
| man who goes around seducing and impregnating their | | | | that belief. |
| daughters. This dolphin shapeshifter is called an | | | | They are endangered due to pollution, destruction of |
| encantado and what has given rise to the myth is that | | | | the rain forests and increased traffic on the Amazon, |
| a certain portion of the Amazon River Dolphin's | | | | as well as by falling victim to the human predator. |
| anatomy closely resembles that of a human male. | | | | Thanks to the River Dolphin Research Program based |
| Other tales include the fact that it is bad luck to kill a | | | | in the Federal University of Western Para (UFOPA), |
| pink dolphin and that if you were to look a pink dolphin | | | | ecological studies of the species and the impact that |
| in the eye, you will have nightmares the rest of your | | | | humans have on the species are ongoing. There are |
| life. Another local legend states that the pink dolphin is | | | | also a number of non-profit and even |
| the guardian of the Amazon Manatee and that if you | | | | non-governmental organizations, such as Omacha |
| wish to find one, you must first befriend the pink | | | | Foundation, Projeto Boto, the Convention on Migratory |
| dolphin. You might want to look up a 1987 Brazilian film | | | | Species and the Nature Conservancy that are working |
| Ele, o Boto, which is a mystic romance about an | | | | to study and to protect this resident of the Amazon |
| Amazon River Dolphin that has a son by a young | | | | River. Let's hope they are successful. |
| woman. It's also interesting to note that those children | | | | |