The Magical Pink River Dolphin
amazon, animals
Among the strangest and most enchanting creatures of the Amazon is the beautiful and intelligent Pink River Dolphin, scientific name Inia geoffrensis, or peixe boto as they are known in Brazil. You can’t miss them as they play and perform acrobatics in the waters of the Central Amazon Region. They are often seen along the Rio Negro from the Meeting of the Waters to the Anavilhanas Archipelago up river, but they are also found in Venezuala, Peru, and throughout the Amazon Region. At times they can be seen swimming alongside riverboats or hunting for fish around the still waters along the banks of the rivers, known as igarapés. They are extremely intelligent (their brain is about 40% larger than the human brain), very playful, and very communicative.
The Boto’s shocking color comes with age. A full-grown adult is bright pink, reaches almost three meters in length, and weighs up to 200 kilos. This makes it among the largest of its species, including among ocean-going dolphins. Aside from its shocking color, the Boto looks very much like its ocean-going cousins, but with a few particularities no doubt evolved to suit its fresh-water environment. In particular, its body is more flexible and “bent” than other dolphins, giving it extra maneuverability in the intricate waterways of the Amazon. Instead of a dorsal fin, it has a pronounced ridge along its back. Another difference is that the Boto usually swims alone or in pairs, a behavior attributed to its relative lack of natural predators.
The Boto’s biggest enemy is the local fisherman. Excessive fishing of the Amazon River Basin diminishes the Boto’s food supply and makes hunting difficult. Dolphins also get caught in fishing nets and drown. In a note of karmic justice, the Boto’s hunting practices frustrate the fishing methods of the locals. The Boto herds fish into shallow waters where it captures them, whereas Fishermen depend on calm conditions and fish that are not being pursued by a Boto.
Apart from its rivalry with fishermen, the Boto has enjoyed a special relationship with indigenous groups of the Amazon, who consider it taboo to hunt or eat the animal. The Boto plays a large role in native lore and is considered a magical and powerful being, not all that different from humans. Legend has it that the Boto occasionally takes on the guise of a human and hangs around the river banks looking for young women to seduce. A bastard child is usually the result. Its reputation as a lover has given it the name boto amorador (Lover Boto) among local tribes and has made it the primary scapegoat for all unwed mothers. Women are warned against swimming near the river banks and riding alone in canoes. But the Boto can also take the form of a beautiful woman who seduces the men of the region. Any man fortunate enough to encounter such a creature will forever be protected by her when in the waters of the Amazon.
These legends no doubt have a grain of truth somewhere within them. Dolphins are known to be among the few species on the planet (along with humans) that engage in sexual activity for purposes other than reproduction (i.e., for enjoyment). And the sex organs of both the male and female Boto are also said to have a striking resemblance to human sex organs.
