The pink river dolphin, known across Brazil as the boto, is one of the strangest and most charismatic animals in fresh water anywhere on the planet. It is a true whale relative that never sees the sea, a hunter that twists through drowned forests, and the only dolphin that turns a startling shade of pink. Here are 11 facts that capture why scientists and river communities alike find it unforgettable. For the full profile, see our pink river dolphin species guide.
11 facts about the pink river dolphin
1. It is the largest river dolphin on Earth
Males reach about 2.5 m and up to roughly 185 kg, dwarfing every other freshwater dolphin. Females are noticeably smaller.
2. The pink really does come from scars
Calves are grey. Adults, especially males, flush pink largely because rough play and fighting build up pale scar tissue over the skin. The colour can deepen with exertion and warmer water.
3. Its neck actually bends
Unlike stiff-necked ocean dolphins, the boto has unfused neck vertebrae, letting it turn its head almost 90 degrees to peer around submerged roots.
4. It hunts inside the flooded forest
When seasonal floods drown the forest, botos swim among the tree trunks, dispersing through the canopy world to find prey, then retreat to main channels as the water falls.
5. It has one of the widest diets of any toothed whale
The menu runs to more than 50 fish species, plus river turtles, freshwater crabs and even small caimans.
6. It "sees" with sound
In water where eyesight is almost useless, the boto navigates and finds prey by echolocation, firing clicks and reading the echoes.
7. It has no tall dorsal fin
Instead of a fin, it carries a long, low ridge along its back, an adaptation suited to weaving through tight, obstacle-filled water.
8. Babies are big
A single calf is born after about 11 months, already around 80 cm long, and stays with its mother for a year or more.
9. It lives only in South America
The species is found across the Amazon and Orinoco river systems, spanning six countries — and nowhere else on Earth.
10. It is woven into Amazon folklore
In legend the boto can shapeshift into a charming stranger at night. Those stories long gave the dolphin a measure of protection from harm.
11. It is now Endangered
The IUCN reclassified the boto as Endangered in 2018. A 22-year study in a protected Brazilian reserve found numbers halving roughly every decade.
The pink dolphin's fate is tied to the health of its rivers. WARN channels supporter gifts to local partners in Brazil and Colombia working to keep these waterways safe — you can read more or support that work if it moves you.
Read the full Amazon river dolphin wildlife guide for the facts, IUCN status and conservation context — or donate to WARN to help fund the local partners protecting this species.
