One of the most intelligent dolphins documented by science, they possess a brain capacity 40% larger than humans. Found in small “family” groups of about 7 members, led by one dominant male. In the river, they work in large packs of about 35 to herd fish together, sometimes working together with Gray dolphins. They live in the waters of the Orinoco River and other Amazonian waters.

         Known to be very playful and curious, the Pink Dolphin lives in the murky rivers of the Amazon. The reason for their unique pink color is not known, but might depend on their habitat, food and temperature. Their diet consists of small fish and crustacean that they catch at the bottom of the river. Their unique backbone allows them to turn their head at a 180-degree angle. This also removes their dorsal fin, and adds a large hump on their back. Measuring almost three meters long and weighing 200 pounds with the males generally larger, these dolphins can be born between July and September after a gestation period of about nine to twelve months. In males, sexual maturity is reached when they are two meters long.

         There was once a smaller population of Pink Dolphins within the waters of the Amazon. There has been an increase in the dolphin population since 1970. Where there were once eight dolphins, there are now almost forty. Struggling to save these animals, the International Society for the Preservation of the Tropical Rainforest (ISPTR) has created the Preservation of the Amazon River Dolphin project, in an effort to save these incredible creatures from deforestation and industrialization.