The Rare Pink River Dolphin

The world is a large place, full of strange and mysterious things. There are a million stories of strange creatures that dot this land we call home, animals that seem impossible, made up. I put up for your consideration though, that these animals are not impossible fables, or tales, but are in fact some of the to many animals gone almost to extinction. Going extinct, or perhaps, just not truly yet discovered.

Dolphins and their slaughter has been in the news lately, which you may or may not agree with, but have you ever heard of a pink river dolphin? They are part of a rare species of dolphin who's numbers are quickly dwindling. (To read a heart pounding account of a strange encounter with one of these animals, visit jeremywade) it's a great story!

The pink river dolphin (sometimes referred to as the fresh water dolphin) can grow up to about 3 metres, depending on the species. While the pink river dolphin resembles the dolphins most people are familiar with, it's dorsal fin is smaller (arthurgrosset). Some of these dolphins may only have a ridge, and no proper dorsal fin at all.

Although they are called pink dolphins, they can also be many other colors, but pink is what grabs people's attention, and is probably why that name gets most repeated. They may also be shades of brown, grey, or white, depending on their enviroment. Their color develops as they age because their skin thins (wikipedia).

Even though these animals are sadly dying off, it may not be as much from hunting as you may have thought. In fact, locals shun hunting the animals because it is believed that hunting and killing them will bring harm to their own children (arthurgrosset). There are other myths surrounding these strange creatures. One type of pink dolphin, the boto, is believed to turn into a handsome young man at night, who impregnates women. Another thought is that if someone were to look into the eyes of one the dolphins, they would suffer from nightmares (wikipedia)!

The pink river dolphins life expectancy is about eighteen years, however some of the few pink dolphins in captivity (of which there are very little), have lived to be over thirty years old! The only one being held in the United States died in 2002, at the age of 34.

While some of these dolphins still 'thrive' and are considered 'vulnerable' by the IUCN, they are being threatened, and many are facing extinction. Perhaps many of the mysteries of the world today, with it's strange creatures, they could have been easily explained decades before, explained that these animals were not just a story, but alive, real. With animals dying off all the time, it is hard to imagine which of the strange these we hear are true, or merely myths.