Sixth Day: River Dolphins!

July 2

Gray River Dolphins coming up for air.

Pink River Dolphins are heavier than Grays with a smaller fin on their back.

This morning we counted river dolphins! The Amazon rainforest is home to two kinds of freshwater dolphins, both pink and gray. The pink dolphin is kind of gray on top too so you have to be careful when you are trying to identify which one you are seeing. This river and the surrounding area has the most river dolphins in the world.

We are heading up river 5 kilometers, then drifting quietly downstream to see how many we see. As usual, we are ready with our clipboard and data sheet. Dolphins eat a lot of fish, so they are another indicator species, a sign that the river is healthy. We see about 16 dolphins, who seem to be feeding. Ever so often, a flipper or a nose comes out of the water. They are mostly pink dolphins, who rarely jump out of the water. The gray dolphins are more active and have a larger dorsal fin sticking out of their back.

We see the dolphins all the time as we are relaxing on the boat between animal counts, I think they are my favorite animal in the Amazon.