It is considered critically endangered and occurs only in the Amazon and its tributaries: the Amazon river dolphin, also called the pink dolphin because of its color. After more than 100 dead animals were discovered, a rescue operation began.
After dozens of freshwater dolphins died in the Brazilian Amazon, an operation to rescue the remaining animals was launched. Emergency services attempted to capture and examine animals living in Lake Tefé, as reported by television station TV Globo. Additionally, carcasses of dead dolphins were recovered and autopsied to find out the cause of death.
Amazon river dolphins are the largest river dolphins. They grow to be about 6 to 8 feet tall and weigh 180 to 400 pounds. More recently, 120 dead freshwater dolphins were discovered in the lake, which corresponds to around five percent of the region’s population. “This is a very worrying and serious situation,” said scientist Miriam Marmontel, from the Mamirauá Institute for Sustainable Development.
The exact cause of death is still unclear
The exact cause of death is still unclear. However, researchers assume it is related to the current heat and drought in the region. “The average water temperature in Lake Tefé is 32 degrees – but recently we measured 40 degrees even at three meters depth,” said Marmontel.
The Amazon region is currently experiencing high temperatures and severe drought. Many rivers in the region carry significantly less water than the average in previous years.
Drought in the Amazon region
The normal dry season is currently being reinforced by El Niño. The climate phenomenon, which occurs every few years, causes more drought and heat in the North of Brazil, among other places. “What is happening to dolphins is a warning that the Amazon urgently needs to be protected and the fight against climate change needs to be intensified”, says a statement from the environmental organization WWF.
“Disasters like these could be repeated elsewhere, as the region faces increasingly adverse conditions. As indicators of ecosystem health, river dolphins will continue to provide a warning about the delicate environmental situation,” the environmental group said.