Botos, or Amazon river dolphins, stand out in this rainforest scene owing to their vivid hue, which is caused by their capillaries being close to the surface of their skin. They swim and play alongside the boats of local anglers and researchers, just like their saltwater counterparts. Pink river dolphins, have a lumpy head, beady eyes, and a long snout that seems to be grinning. These are the biggest of the five freshwater dolphin species, reaching nine feet and weighing more than 400 pounds.
How many clicks away?
Amazon river dolphins utilize echolocation to traverse the dark waters, even though their eyes are perfectly functional. A fatty lump on their foreheads called a melon, is what helps them emit the clicks and focus the sound from a wave to a beam. When they’re looking for prey, they may make 30-80 clicks every second. Their food includes at least 53 different fish species, and their tiny jaw has 25 to 28 pairs of teeth, allowing them to crush turtle and freshwater crab shells. Whistling tones are often employed as a means of communication. Although Amazon river dolphins are usually seen in pairs or groups of three, pods as big as 37 have been seen.
Making baby dolphins
Breeding and childbirth occur between May and July when water levels are at their highest. Because of the loss of habitat when floodwaters recede, the density of prey rises. This makes it simple to refuel for the high energy needs of childbirth and breastfeeding. Males start the season by giving a female a gift in the form of branches, leaves, or firm clay balls. If the present is accepted well, he starts foreplay by biting the female’s fins. Once pregnant, a female’s gestation period is believed to be over eleven months, and lactation to be over a year. Juveniles start off dark grey and lighten with growth, becoming self-sufficient in two to three years.
There is some magic to them
According to local indigenous legends in the Amazon River, the botos are shapeshifters known as ‘encantados.’ They entice local inhabitants to the Encante Underworld by transforming into gorgeous men or women at night. For fear of bad luck, legend bans killing, eating, or even looking into the eyes of river dolphins. Moreso, the belief holds that to have bountiful fishing or find the holy Amazonian manatee, one must make peace with the “guardians of the river.”