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Amazon River Dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) wildlife photograph

Field guide · rare

Amazon River Dolphin

The pink dolphin of the Amazon — flexible neck, long snout, and a colour that turns river myths into fact.

Endangered

Inia geoffrensis

Overview

Amazon river dolphins, or botos, are freshwater dolphins famous for rosy pink adults, bulbous melons, and necks that bend more freely than oceanic dolphins. They hunt in murky rivers by echolocation, weaving among flooded forest trunks in high water.

For Brazil collectors, a pink dorsal ridge cutting the várzea is an unforgettable Amazon card.

Habitat

  • Rivers
  • Flooded forest
  • Oxbow lakes

Main rivers, tributaries, and flooded forest of the Amazon and Orinoco basins, moving with seasonal flood pulses.

Countries found

Field notes

Field scale for the Amazon River Dolphin: length around 2-2.5 m; weight 100-160 kg. Typical lifespan: Around 20-30 years estimated.

When you are scanning habitat, prioritise rivers, flooded forest, and oxbow lakes. Those settings are where a clean look and a usable photo are most likely.

Quick ID anchor: Stocky freshwater dolphin with a long thin snout, lumpy melon, and low dorsal ridge instead of a tall fin. Confirm with behaviour and habitat before you log the discovery.

Where to see one

  • Brazil

    In Brazil, start at Amazon Rainforest (Amazonas). Riverboat journeys through flooded forest, with pink dolphins, sloths, and more species than anywhere else on Earth.

    More context on this destination lives on the Brazil expedition page.

    Spotting guide for Amazon River Dolphin in Brazil

Diet

Fish of many species, plus crabs and turtles taken in rivers and flooded forest.

Hunt alone or in small groups using echolocation.

Behaviour

Usually found in small numbers rather than big ocean-style pods.

Surface quietly; spyhop and roll in calm backwaters.

How to identify

Stocky freshwater dolphin with a long thin snout, lumpy melon, and low dorsal ridge instead of a tall fin.

Grey calves; adults often flushed pink.

Interesting facts

  1. 01

    Adults often turn pinker with age and activity.

  2. 02

    Unlike most dolphins, they can turn their necks laterally.

  3. 03

    They use echolocation to hunt in muddy water.

  4. 04

    Long snouts help snatch fish among submerged roots.

  5. 05

    Flooded forest seasons expand their hunting grounds.

  6. 06

    Local legends often feature the boto as a shapeshifter.

Conservation status

EN: Endangered

Amazon river dolphins are Endangered. Dams, fishing bycatch, pollution, and intentional killing threaten populations. Protecting free-flowing Amazon tributaries is critical.

Sources: IUCN Red List

Keep exploring

Where it lives

Related discoveries

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