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 it lives in the rainforest. It has a gray-pink body. Its coloration can vary depending on the age, clarity of the water, temperature, and location. Amazon dolphins have a narrow and long beak with whiskers. The eyes are very small. Instead of a dorsal fin, the animals have a dorsal ridge that can only be seen when they surface.
The river dolphin Inia geoffrensis is a slow swimmer and not as jumping as marine dolphins. Amazonian dolphins are well adapted to life in the flooded jungle because, unlike their relatives, they have a movable neck and large, paddle-shaped flippers. They locate their prey in the murky water using a sonar system.
They are still frequently seen in the rainforest in the Cuyabeno Nature Reserve in Ecuador, whereby they are particularly found in larger rivers in the dry season (October-February), but in smaller rivers and in the flooded jungle in the rainy season (March-September).
After a gestation period of about 12 months, a cub is born. Their life expectancy is about 20 years.
Dangers
Industrialization, extraction of raw materials (e.g. oil production in the rainforest) and the associated changes in their habitats, as well as the progressive pollution of water bodies pose a great threat to this species. Threat Status IUCN Red List
YAQU PACHA works in Venezuela together with PROYECTO SOTALIA to protect the Amazon dolphins. Learn more about dolphin conservation at our Amazon Dolphin project
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