The Mysterious Pink Dolphin

The world is a large place: full of strange and mysterious things, there are millions of stories of strange creatures that populate these lands, some stories are impossible to believe. There are times when life surprises us in different ways and fables become reality in the Amazon, every day is extravagant and lush. Popular belief has it that transforming rain, cracking storms that lighten the skies, crashing branches, is seen as male rain. On the other hand, rain that pours for hours, sobbing and heaving is perceived as female rain, because a woman can cry all day.

The Amazon and the tributaries hold ancient myths and legends. The legend of the Pink Dolphin is the opposite to that of the cruel Mermaids. The Pink Dolphin is believed to have supernatural powers such as the power to change its appearance to that of a charming and handsome young man. They come from the river at night to seduce innocent women living by the shores and then make their way back into the river the next morning as a Pink Dolphin. Pregnant women without a husband, blame the gentle young man that mysteriously emerges from the waters. This dolphin shape-shifter is called the “Encantado” (enchanted) which, in disguise of human desire can claims your soul and takes you to the “Encante” (an enchanted) underwater world, where the Amazon melts into the forest, where dolphins swim among tree tops and XXI Century dissolves into the beginning of time.

Another legend has it that if one is to make eye contact with an “Encantado” he or she will have haunting nightmares for the rest of his or her life. But… why? They are such charming and wonderful creatures! Men always tell stories, when did all these tales begin? It must have been centuries ago, when things were not so easy to explain, or perhaps nature was easier and kinder back then.

Scientists call them “Inia geoffrensis” an ancient specie of toothed whale whose origins dates back about 15 million years. It has a melon-like forehead and tubular snouts. Pink Dolphins look eerily familiar, like a person in a watery beginning.

No one knows for certain what gives their distinctive coloring: they may glow pink with exertion or with age. Their color may change with the temperature of the waters, from shades of brown, grey or white, depending on the environment and the sex. The presence of capillaries near the surface of the skin probably accounts for much of its characteristic pink flush. A recent study by the Omacha Foundation has determined that the pink color is determined genetically but its intensity depends on animal’s physical activity.

They are mostly found in slow moving rivers basins, streams and lakes with their flexible bodies (stretching to 8 feet long and weighing up to 400 pounds), finely-tuned echolocation abilities, Pink Dolphins perform their water ballet on hand-like, 5 fingered flippers, in a habitat no other dolphin could colonized, because during flood season they leave deeper channels and explore the flooded forest and swim through trees to catch its pray.

They are very curious and playful which most likely explains their slow swimming habits. They have to explore everything and play in their group. In Pink Dolphins, the dorsal fin we are familiar with is smaller and some of them may only have a ridge and no proper dorsal fin at al. They eat a large quantity of food per day. They do not like to eat alone, therefore when they find a school of fish; they make a loud sound to call their pod. The pods, or groups, may dive below a school of fish and bring them to the surface. They feed on crustaceans, catfish and a small fresh water fishes. During the night, they hunt zooplankton. The Pink Dolphin’s adaption to its environment, help them find food and one of the singularities they have developed, unlike other species of dolphins, is a long beak with tiny hairs on top that help them to feed.

Its small eyes are also part of their evolution; it helps them to see underwater. Their flexible bodies help them swim faster and get more food. They swim at a speed of up to 20 miles per hour and can turn their head 180° degrees in every direction since they have an infused vertebra. Some of the Pink Dolphin’s adaptations can help it protect itself. The sexually mature age is yet unknown, but normally coincides with a certain body length. Males normally attain their sexual maturity when 2 meters long and females 1.7 meters. The mating season varies, but it is usually at the end of summer. Courtship rituals include much surfacing, breaching, flipper contact and vocalizations. When they start mating, they hold one against the other with their flippers. Then fertilization takes place. The gestation period varies from 9-12 months.

The calf’s lactation period lasts 18-20 months. This means that the calf drinks milk from its mother for 18-20 months. Usually the Pink Dolphin that gives birth to the calf takes care of it with help of other dolphins from its pod. The mother raises and protects the calf for 1-3 years. They hide the calves to their side to protect and care for them with their body. As the calf becomes older, it leaves its mother, and becomes part of a pod or group about the same age to protect itself from enemies.

While some dolphins still thrive and are considered “vulnerable” (Protected Species) by the IUCN, they are still under threat of facing extinction. Perhaps many of the mysteries of the animal world today could have been easily explained decades ago. These animals were not just a fantastic story but real living beings. With so much extinction going on, it is hard to know which of the strange creatures we heard about in myth and legends were true or false. For this reason, we have to be aware that this mysterious creature has been put on the “endangered species list” since 2002. It is hoped that this species can be saved unlike the Chinese river dolphin “Baiji”, declared extinct in 2006. In the Ganges River in India they are also in the verge of extinction.

Till recent times, dolphins and people who are living along the Amazon River coexisted in harmony with each other. It has been only in the past three decades, more or less, that the psychic relationship between people and dolphins has been fractured as a result of deforestation and habitat degradation.

The Pink Dolphin is endangered because of us. Mankind is destroying the South American Tropical Rainforest at a fast pace. These animals are not dying because they are being hunted. In fact, locals do not hunt them, because it is believed that hunting and killing them will bring harm to their own children. Pollution and destruction of the habitat is a major factor. The dumping of chemicals in the rivers and tributaries, the continuous expansion of environmental degradation are the main reasons for our continuous loss of the rainforest habitats.

If you want more information on what we are doing to help, please write to us in our blog. You will know more about our efforts to promote the local villagers. Conservation is not only an issue concerning Government organizations, it’s everyone’s responsibility. This idea motivated the founding of the Yanallpa Private Reserve, which we are promoting with the mission of interact with local villagers, helping them to promote balance between their needs and those of the wildlife with which they co-exist. Our commitment towards the communities and the environment, the fragility of this unique ecosystem, motivates us to take solid actions towards preservation and deforestation. Our goal is to promote a conscious of high levels of sustainable needs on local villagers; our main goal is to minimize environmental impact.

For more information, please contact us.

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