Interesting Facts About PINK DOLPHIN

The Amazon river dolphin, also known as the pink dolphin, is a freshwater dolphin species endemic to the South American river system. Among the various pink dolphin facts, one of the lesser known fact is that it is the largest among the five river dolphin species in the world. Here are some interesting fact about these beautiful dolphins :-

1. Pink dolphins are not the same dolphins that you would see in the ocean; they have special adaptations to their habitat. In fact, river dolphins are only distantly related to sea dolphins.

2. Among the five species of river dolphins, Amazon pink dolphins are considered the most intelligent of them, with a brain capacity 40% larger than that of humans.

3. The Amazon River pink dolphins conform the largest population of river dolphins in existence as the other four species are functionally extinct or close to extinction.

4. The raise in contaminant levels of mercury have caused and increased number of deaths among pink dolphins, especially near gold mines where mercury is used as part of the gold mining process.

5. Pink dolphins can be found in pink, light gray or brown colors but there is not conclusive evidence of the reason why pink dolphins are pink.

6. The Pink dolphin, has stiff hairs on its beak; the hairs are a sensory organ that help the Amazon River Dolphin sense prey in the muddy river bottoms.

7. The Pink dolphin, is able to move its neck unlike other dolphin species that have a fused vertebrae. The Amazon River Dolphin is able to look side to side and up and down.

8. The Pink dolphin, has great eyesight and excellent hearing.

9. The Pink Dolphin is one that is known specifically because of where it dwells. This species is found in the Amazon River and the Orinoco River in South America.

10. The pink dolphin species was first described by the French zoologist, Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville, in 1817.

11. Owing to its unique neck vertebrae, the pink dolphin has the ability to turn a whole 180 degrees with immense ease.


12. Unlike the other dolphin species which have a dorsal fin, the pink dolphin has a hump on its back.


13. The increase of traffic in the Amazon River, also threatens these creatures as they are curious by nature and they sometime approach to vessels where they are easily hurt by the sharp propellers.


14. Pink dolphins eat crabs, catfish, small river fish and even small turtles.

15. The Amazon River dolphin is between six and eight feet long, and weighs between 185 and 355 pounds when it is fully grown.