The Napo River, Peru (March 2017)
Surrounded by lapping, murky water not much can be seen beneath the surface. That is until a bulbous pink head attached to narrow snout sticks up out of the water and is gone in a second. Then, a few metres away, another flash of pink, shiny skin pokes through the surface. A few seconds later these strange creatures seem to emerge from all directions, playing with each other in the water. Glimpses of a ridged back here and a tail there are just enough to piece together that these are not mythical creatures or water unicorns, but specially adapted freshwater dolphins, specifically Amazon River dolphins, or boto dolphins.
This is an experience I will never forget. I first heard of the mysterious pink river dolphin in primary school. I couldn’t quite believe that such a thing existed. No one seemed to know much about them or if they truly existed. Over the succeeding years, I saw little more about them for someone so curious about the natural world. For such an incredibly unique species, this now astounds me.
This species is notoriously difficult to observe, in part due to their shyness. Amazon River dolphins have varying amounts of pink and grey skin, with the adults usually being more pink. One theory for this colouration is that it helps the dolphins remain camouflaged in sediment-rich waters. This, combined with adaptations like echolocation and a lack of fused vertebrae in their necks, make these dolphins the perfect hunters to thrive in the Amazon River.