The Ticuna people believe the dolphins to be magical beings that used to be human. Other tribes believe the dolphins are symbols of good or evil. Some people believe that after sunset, the dolphins come out of the water, take human form, and have parties. Then they are said to go back underwater to cities where they wear sting rays for hats and snakes for belts. No one knows why the dolphin is pink.
Some people think that the dolphin gets their coloring from the way blood rushes through their body.
We might never know. The pink dolphin is in serious danger of extinction. Some people actually hunt them for their eyes and teeth, which are supposed to have magical powers. Sometimes, oil-carrying ships sink in the river, spilling tons of oil into the water, and damaging sometimes a hundred miles of the river. Metal pollution can destroy the food chain, which the dolphin just happens to be on top of.