THE REAL PINK DOLPHINS

The pink river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis), also called the Amazon river dolphin, is the largest freshwater dolphin in the world. Its lifespan is only around thirty or forty years of age and this legend, along with others, has unfortunately put the species’ continuation at risk. Certain ethnic groups also believe that the teeth and eyes of the pink dolphins have magical powers and so have hunted them.

However, whatever risk these legends have caused is nothing in comparison to what the modern world has done to the aquatic mammals. They have been affected by large-scale fishing, the oil industry, deforestation, gold mining and waste disposal.

Once, pink dolphins were amongst some of the least threatened dolphin species in the world, but with the onset of industry in the Amazon region, they have now become one of the most threatened.