A pod of enigmatic animals emerged from the darkness and began playing in front of the camera. <\/p>
Conservationists have shared spellbinding footage of Amazon river dolphins<\/strong> tumbling and rolling in front of the camera.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p> “River dolphins are rare, unique, and wonderful,\u201d says Emily Cunningham, Global Lead \u2013\u00a0WWF River Dolphin Rivers Initiative<\/a>. <\/p> These enigmatic mammals don\u2019t look like their marine cousins, she says: \u201cnor do the different species look the same as each other. Some river dolphins have long, slender beaks (snouts) and tiny eyes, some have no beak at all, and one species is bubblegum pink.\u201d<\/p> These dolphins don\u2019t just stand out for their baby pink colour. Unlike marine dolphins, they also have flexible necks that let them turn their heads from side to side. Along with the ability to paddle forward with one fin and backwards with another, this helps the dolphins navigate\u00a0flooded forests<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 avoiding trees \u2013 when water levels are high.<\/p> While dolphins prancing in the ocean is a familiar sight to many, seeing a river dolphin is much rarer. There are only tens of thousands of\u00a0Amazon river dolphins<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 also known as\u00a0boto<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 left in the Amazon and Orinoco River basins\u00a0where they live.<\/p> \u201cAll species of river dolphins are endangered or critically endangered,\u201d says Cunningham. \u201cThis is due to bycatch (where they get caught in fishing nets), changes in river flow due to dams, irrigation channels and climate change, and pollution. River dolphins are vital in maintaining the health of their rivers, which are the lifeblood for over one billion people worldwide.\u201d<\/p> WWF shared this footage to raise awareness of\u00a0Freshwater Dolphin Day<\/a>\u00a0and the importance of protecting these unique animals.\u00a0<\/p>