The pink dolphins in the Amazon are considered mystical creatures, and also being the gymnasts of the river. You will have the opportunity to feel the excitement of interacting with wildlife in this Ecuadorian amazon cruising experience. Their intrinsic magic persuades the admiration we have for these amazing creatures. A curious thing is that some people still consider bad luck to harm them and even worse luck to eat them. However this dolphin species has been threatened by excessive hunting and also certain environmental issues. That is why we aim to promote their preservation through our conservation program.
Oftentimes in this cruising journey, you can see dolphins from the vessel or on one of your canoe excursions. We also coordinate a special experience where you get to meet the pink river dolphins through our conservation program. We work with the Yacuwarmi community in the Cocaya region, they help protect the dolphins, and when our guests visit they call the dolphin’s attention to come up close to the dock. We’ve partnered with this community for more than ten years.
As we disembark in the morning and take you over to the community by canoe, one of the men from the community will call the dolphins. He puts a large stick encased in a pipe in the water, then repeatedly strikes it. He swiftly moves his hands back and forth in the water. The cool thing is that dolphins respond to these movements and sounds because they are very friendly animals. Some other interesting facts are that they are considered the smartest dolphins out of the five freshwater species, and also the largest. Their skills in the water have been recognized as some agile movements which are unique to have.
They can maneuver around tree trunks, rocks, and other obstacles as their necks allow them to turn their heads 180 degrees because of their specific vertebrae design.
Although this kind of dolphin is very friendly and usually approaches people because it is curious as well. They can vary their color, when they’re born they are grey and turn pink depending on certain internal and external conditions. Its color can be shades of pink or turn into an intense flamingo pink. A funny fact about these dolphins is that they can flush to a brighter pink when they get excited, that’s probably something we share in common with them.
The community will also provide a fish snack, so you’ll have the opportunity to interact with the dolphins. You can also ask some questions about the legends of the amazon as these were considered mystical creatures. Meeting with the pink river dolphins is one of the highlights of the trip, a magical moment that brings you right up close with nature in the wild.
By engaging in this experience you are helping support tourism in the area, which in turn, means that you’re also supporting the conservation of the Amazon. Pink river dolphins are an endangered species who are sought after for their meat and teeth. When people within the region can make money through tourism instead of hunting, we are reinforcing the conservation of dolphins in a way that they can live free, protected, and out of captivity. With our cruise operation in the Amazon river, we are able to give an income to the community which forms part of our sustainable tourism model. We want to offer the best for the community and our guests, in that way everyone wins a marvelous experience within the nurturing and unique environment and its biodiversity.