With a length of up to 3 m and a weight of up to 185 kg, the Amazon dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) is the largest river dolphin and lives in the rainforest. It has a gray-pink body. Its coloration can vary depending on age, water clarity, temperature and location. Amazon river dolphins have a long, narrow beak with tactile hairs. The eyes are very small. Instead of a dorsal fin, the animals have a dorsal ridge that is only visible when surfacing.
The river dolphin Inia geoffrensis is a slow swimmer and not as eager to jump as sea dolphins. Amazon river dolphins are well adapted to life in the flooded jungle as - unlike their relatives - they have a flexible neck and large, paddle-shaped flippers. They locate their prey in murky water using a sonar system.
In the rainforest in the Cuyabeno Nature Reserve in Ecuador, they can still be seen frequently, although in the dry season (October-February) they can be found particularly in larger rivers, whereas in the rainy season (March-September) they can be found in smaller rivers and in flooded jungle.
After a gestation period of about 12 months, a young is born. Their life expectancy is around 20 years.
Dangers
Industrialization, the extraction of raw materials (e.g. oil production in the rainforest) and the associated changes to their habitats, as well as the progressive pollution of water bodies, pose a major threat to this species. Endangered status IUCN Red List
YAQU PACHA works together with PROYECTO SOTALIA in Venezuela to protect the Amazon dolphins. Find out more about dolphin conservation in our Amazon dolphin project
Support us in saving the river dolphins by making a donation with PayPal
Manatee | Chilean dolphin | Chilean dolphin project | Bottlenose dolphin project | La Plata dolphin project | Bottlenose dolphin project | Sotalia dolphin project | 30 years of YAQU PACHA e.V. | Species protection | Species that YAQU PACHA is working to protect