Pink Dolphins in Porto Seguro: The Amazon River Dolphin

Now that summer has finally arrived in Porto Seguro, the sea water is getting warmer every day, especially the river section next to the port of the town. You can imagine my surprise when I saw something pink jumping out of the water. First time I have ever seen pink dolphins! They swim-travel to Porto Seguro together with the hot water streams and stay in the region until the water streams travel further.

Here they are called `Boto-cor-de-rosa` which literally translates to something like Pink Dolphins. On google they were referred to as the Amazon River Dolphin, but here they make a clear reference between BOTO and the Portuguese translation for dolphin which is GOLFINHO. To me it seems like the pink boto dolphin has a much longer mouth than the grey golfinho dolphin brother.

On another page I found out that Amazon River dolphins are becoming an endangered species due to overfishing: http://www.catholic.org/green/story.php?id=37323 So hopefully it is a positive sign that loads of them are still to be found here in Porto Seguro.

I also found a sweet Brazilian Pink Dolphin Tale: The story says that the Pink Dolphin is the most playful of all dolphins and that`s why he particularly attracks women and children close to the river. According to the legend, he protects everyone in case of drowning risk. People also tell that the boto is also famous for being a conqueror of hearts. That he seduces girls who dance at the parties in town, who take a bath in the river and those who navigate alone in small canoes. The legend also tells that in the nights of the June parties, the Pink dolphin transforms himself into what?
A beautiful, charming man! He glides out of the water, perfumy and elegant, to conquer the heart of the most beautiful girl that he meets. So during the nights of Santo Antonio, Sao Joao and Sao Pedro, when the people of the river make fire presentations and dance to the sound of the accordion, the boto always appears as `the unknown man`. And guess how he dresses himself: All in white! But he is very careful and always hides his face behind his hat, as he has a tiny hole in his head from where he breaths. He always makes friends with everyone and many girls fall for him. But he needs to return back to the river before dawn when he transforms back into the Pink Dolphin. He enchants the women and during the night, they come to the riverside and he selects his favourite to visit his river castle. When a girl gets pregnant and has been at the river, people automatically joke that `it was the boto`. That`s why cheated on boyfriends and husbands hate the Pink Dolphin who is called to be the greatest rival of men! The legend says due to jealousy those men go to hunt the Pink dolphin - and unfortunately this part of the story is not a legend. That`s why the species is one of the most endangered in Brazil.

Here the lenda do boto-cor-de-rosa (legend of the pink dolphin) in Portuguese language: http://cantinhodamami.blogspot.com.br/2011/08/lenda-do-boto-rosa-com-turma-da-monica.html