I grew up in the dolphin decade you know where every girl you knew had some cute little dolphin knickknacks from blowup Dolphins to Dolphin notebooks Dolphin stickers dolphin folders they were everywhere thanks Lisa Frank I myself fell into this group of girls always siding with the Blue Dolphins and letting my little sister take the pink ones because real dolphins are blue and pink dolphins we're make believe so now imagine my surprise when 15 years later I stumble across the am Amazon River dolphin otherwise known as the boto or pink river dolphin once I learned about their existence I research them extensively and I'm excited to share with you what I have learned because they are absolutely fascinating I am Valerie your host for this evening and this is animal [Music] features the story of pink dolphins dates back to the 19th century when explorers and scientists first documented them in the vast rivers of the Amazon basin their ancestors are believed to have made their way to the Amazon River via the Pacific Ocean 15 million years ago over those years they've evolved to thrive in the complex environment that is the Amazonian River these Dolphins can grow up to 9 ft long and weigh as much as 350 lb unlike their Oceanic relatives pink dolphins live in Amazon's fresh butt Waters wait no fresh but murky Waters they have an unhinged neck that can rotate in any direction and a powerful jaw perfect for catching their favorite foods some of their favorite foods are turtles crabs piranas they in the Amazon and pretty much any other small animal that swims like other Dolphins however they are able to use echol location to navigate through the river and find that prey so that's great and all but what makes them pink it turns out their distinct coloration comes from a mix of genetic factors and their unique environment they have numerous blood vessels close to the surface of their skin young dolphins are typically born gray and as they age their skin pigmentation Fades revealing the beautiful pink coloration underneath adult males are often Pinker than females mostly due to scarring from their interactions and Adventures pink dolphins are beautiful but this beauty comes with a price they're pop population is thought to be declining due to Habitat destruction pollution and entanglement in fishing gear in some areas pink dolphins are hunted for their flesh and oil which are used as bait for catfish despite being illegal these practices continue because of high value of catfish in local markets though it feels like their decline may be irreversible there is a silver lining conservation efforts are making a difference there has been anti-hunting laws put into place and protection areas have been established for these sweet creatures to save their natural habitats so while pink dolphins May face many challenges There's Hope for these amazing animals with continued conservation efforts we can help protect these seemingly unreal animals that came straight out of my coloring book and ensure that they remain part of this world's incredible biodiversity thank you so much for coming out tonight I've enjoyed being your host this evening and I hope you enjoyed your time here and learned something new until next time drive safe [Music]