The Amazon Rainforest — Guide
A dolphin that's pink, and hunts blind
The boto, or Amazon river dolphin, is the largest freshwater dolphin on Earth — pink, nearly blind in murky water, and hunting almost entirely by sound.
The boto, or Amazon river dolphin, is the largest freshwater dolphin on Earth — pink, nearly blind in murky water, and hunting almost entirely by sound.
Botos rely on echolocation rather than sight to navigate and hunt in the Amazon's blackwater rivers, where visibility can drop to almost nothing just below the surface.
Video via YouTube — BBC Earth, “Earth's Great Rivers”
A river dolphin adapted to conditions no ocean dolphin ever faces.
The boto is the biggest of the world's river dolphin species, found only in the Amazon and Orinoco basins.
Skin brightens with age and scarring from social interactions — the pinkest males are often the oldest and most dominant.
Botos can turn their heads up to 90 degrees, letting them navigate flooded forest and tangled branches ocean dolphins never encounter.
As Amazon rivers rise and flood the surrounding forest, botos follow prey into the newly submerged terrain.
In blackwater with near-zero visibility, sound-based navigation matters more than eyesight for finding fish.
As floodwaters recede, dolphins are pushed back into main river channels, concentrating populations for research and viewing.
Habitat pressure and river changes have placed Amazon river dolphins on the IUCN's endangered list.
River-based lodges typically offer dawn boat trips, when dolphin activity and overall wildlife sightings are highest.
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