The pink dolphin has its origin in the Amazon river. It is a sociable, curious and intelligent animal. It is also known as Boto, Amazon dolphin or Tonina, and it is the most popular type of dolphin of the five species that inhabit rivers due, of course, to its unusual pink color, in addition to being the largest.

For those of you who still do not know this type of dolphin, today we bring you some characteristics and curiosities of this adorable freshwater mammal.

They can be found in various shades

The Amazon River dolphin is famous for its pink color, but what many do not know is that it comes in a large number of hues. These dolphins start out gray when they are young and slowly turn pink as they age.

Also, your final color can be influenced by your behavior, the location of your capillaries, your diet, and your exposure to sunlight. These types of dolphins can be mostly gray with some pink spots, or even pink like a flamingo. A curious fact about them is that when they get excited they can blush, acquiring a bright pink, similar to the blush of humans.

Bodies and brains bigger than any freshwater dolphin

Of the five freshwater species, the Amazon River pink dolphin is the largest. They are about 2.7 meters long, weigh 181 kilograms and live up to 30 years. They also have unusually large brains, with 40% more brain power than humans.

They are lonelier than other dolphins

Another of its peculiarities is that the pink river dolphin is often seen alone or in small groups of 2-4 dolphins. In some food-rich areas or at river mouths they can be found in larger groups, but it is less common. Despite living in small groups, they are still incredibly curious and outgoing animals, frequently interacting with humans.

They are very agile

Pink river dolphins have unfused vertebrae in their necks, unlike other dolphins. This means they can turn their heads 180 degrees, allowing them to maneuver around tree trunks, rocks, and other obstacles found in their murky river environments. They can also swim forward with one fin while paddling backward with the other, allowing them to turn more precisely. And they are often seen swimming upside down, possibly to help them see the bottom of the river better.

Surrounded by legends

The pink dolphin is the subject of many South American legends. One of the stories that circulate affirms that during the night, the dolphins transform into beautiful men to seduce the women of the town. Another says that if you go swimming alone, the dolphins can take you to a magical underwater city. There is so much mythology around them that it is even considered bad luck to harm them, or eat them. But precisely this condition of treating them as a semi-magical being may have helped protect the species by encouraging humans to treat them well and preserve them.