Imagine boating down the Amazon River, minding your own business—calmly keeping an eye out for alarmingly large snakes—and a curious pink dolphin appears to swim alongside. While this may seem like a mythical creature, pink dolphins do exist in the Amazon region.

The Amazon river dolphin is a giant among its species. It can measure up to 2 meters long and weigh around 204 kilograms. Size isn't the only thing that sets the Amazon river dolphin apart. Thriving in South American rivers and temporary lakes caused by seasonal flooding, this freshwater dolphin is sometimes shockingly pink.

Although born gray, males of the species are easily identified as they enter adulthood by a decisive pink shade. Their unusual coloring is believed to be the result of scar tissue from dolphin fights—whether playfighting or a serious bid for a mate. The deeper the pink, the more attractive the males are believed to be, and the older the male, the more pink it will have.

There's also a theory that this color helps the dolphins more readily blend in with their surroundings. During heavy rains, rivers along the Amazon rainforest turn a pink shade, and with it male dolphins are harder to detect. The Amazon wetland system, fed by the Amazon River, is a crucial place for pink dolphins to breed, and since 2018 has been granted internationally protected status.

Q19:What does thepassage say about pink dolphins? 

Q20: What is theunusual coloring of pink dolphins believed to originate in?

Q21:What hasbecome of the Amazon wetland system since 2018?