Back to the expedition: A new opportunity to preserve the River Dolphin

Originally posted on November 20, 2021, on WWF Ec

While some people return to offices and children to classrooms, scientists and researchers from WWF and the Omacha Foundation returned to expeditions for 10 days in the Amazonian rivers Napo, Yasuní, and Aguarico, located between Ecuador and Peru. Despite the intense heat and scorching humidity, the excitement of returning to the jungle to obtain key information for the conservation of river dolphins is greater. Then, a journey of over 200 kilometers begins.

The river dolphin knows no borders. It navigates with subtlety and agility the Amazonian rivers and lagoons, facing different challenges and threats to its survival, such as mining, deforestation, hydroelectric construction, and oil exploitation. Knowing the state of this species through expeditions is vital to carry out more targeted conservation actions.

The Napo-Aguarico 2021 expedition is a binational project that has two ambitious objectives. The first is to estimate the population of pink and gray dolphins in the Napo, Yasuní, and Aguarico rivers. The second is to place a satellite tracker on two dolphins in the black waters of the Lagartococha river. This allows researchers to monitor them in real-time and to obtain crucial information about their movements and areas to prioritize in conservation strategies.

"The deployment of this expedition with the efforts of our neighboring countries allowed each country to strengthen their technical capacities for the implementation of action plans for these species. It also opened up space for exchanging knowledge and experience to ensure the alignment of actions towards regional objectives; thus, we contribute to the creation of knowledge for decision-making in the conservation of river dolphins," says Fabiola La Rosa, Wildlife Officer at WWF Peru.

This expedition is part of the South American River Dolphin Initiative (SARDI), which is responsible for organizing similar research projects and recovering information obtained on the species' population throughout the region for the past 20 years. At the end of each trip, all the collected information is entered into the "River Dolphins" platform, which already has more than 47 thousand records.

The adventure in the Napo Aguarico 2021 Expedition

The city of Nuevo Rocafuerte, located in the province of Orellana - Ecuador, was the starting point for the long 10-day river journey. The team of experts was made up of biologists, veterinarians, researchers, and other specialists from WWF-Ecuador, WWF-Peru, and Omacha Foundation.

Between suitcases full of research equipment and just a few personal belongings, the first days of the journey focused exclusively on spotting dolphins in Yasuní National Park, Cuyabeno Reserve, Airo Pai Communal Reserve, and Güeppi-Sekime National Park, as well as the Napo river. This latter river, located between Peru and Ecuador, has the best-preserved riverbanks, so, it is not surprising that 50% more dolphins were observed in this river segment. The Aguarico and Lagartococha rivers, which border two protected areas in Peruvian territory (Güeppi-Sekime and Airo Pai), were the end of the journey.

Trying to capture a dolphin is like trying to catch water with our hands. This became clear when the second phase of the expedition began. The aim was to place the tracking device, similar to an earring, in the fin of two river dolphins. The task was not easy. As a first step, researchers, biologists, and veterinarians had to carefully capture the specimens.

Normally, capture is facilitated through the use of beaches or river banks; however, the nature of the Lagartococha region in Ecuador presented an additional challenge as it lacks such formations. Thanks to the fact that this expedition is part of the work of the South American River Dolphin Initiative (SARDI), they were able to apply some of the techniques that have been developed over the years.

Undaunted, the team embarked on the arduous task of capturing the dolphin, bringing it onto the boat, placing the tracking earring, monitoring its health status, and taking samples for analysis. All in less than 15 minutes. During the following three days, one by one, the team members jumped into the cold waters with the objective of capturing a specimen with their light net, made by artisan's hands.

The team made multiple captures without being able to keep them within the nets, as the deep waters allowed the dolphins to slip underneath. The weather, at times extreme due to heavy rains and at others due to the scorching heat, and the peculiarities of the river, such as its deep but narrow configuration, gave the team a hard time. After exhausting all resources, the team decided to end the expedition. The lessons learned and the information collected are invaluable to continue on the road to the conservation of the river dolphin, the Amazon, and its ecosystems.

"The river dolphin is the water jaguar," says María Jimena Valderrama, veterinarian at Omacha Foundation, highlighting the importance of the river dolphin conservation. Not only is the river dolphin agile and majestic, but its presence also means healthy ecosystems. Being an umbrella species, at the top of the food chain, its population is an index of the state of the river, of the Amazon, and therefore, of the planet. "Protecting dolphins can start from our homes, being conscious of the consumption of fresh water. This resource is increasingly scarce in the world, so the ecosystems of river dolphins are also more limited," says Jessica Pacheco, Forestry Officer of WWF Ecuador. At the end of the day, the river dolphin's home is our home too and, therefore, it is a shared duty.