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)!