Pink Dolphin by artists Gillie and Marc

LOCATIONS

EDITION 1 - SINGAPORE - 19 May 2023 - 18 May 2024
Gardens By The Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Dr, Singapore 018953
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NAME
Tonga

TITLE
Love The Pink Dolphin

GENDER
Male

AGE
11

FOUND
South America

CONSERVATION STATUS
Endangered

This pink boy is 11 years old and loves swimming around his jungle river in the Amazon. He is very playful and loves to explore everything in his waters. For someone so curious, there are so many interesting things to see! But sadly he has been facing an unhealthy struggle. The water and fish of his home are becoming polluted and he is forever competing for his favourite dinner, catfish. Hunters want fish too, and they're not afraid to kill him if he gets in their way. 

Dolphins are one of the oldest creatures found in the world and are part of the cetacean family, which includes whales and porpoises. The Amazon River dolphin, also known as the "pink dolphin" or "boto", is a charismatic creature found throughout most of the Amazon river as well as the Orinoco river basins. They are classified as a species of toothed whale and are the biggest of all river dolphins.

Dolphins are highly intelligent creatures. Studies have shown that they have great self awareness, they recognise different parts of their body, and their environment. It is known that they feel emotions and are capable of abstract thought. To see through their murky waters, these clever creatures use a very special technique called "echolocation". By making noises such as clicks and whistles, they can listen and feel the sound bouncing off the objects in their surroundings. Unlike the open ocean, obstacles like tree roots in the shallow waters of the river make it particularly difficult for pink river dolphins to find their way.

Pink dolphins give birth in the flooding season of the Amazon river, which is between May and June. This gives the mother and her babies a better chance at survival as they stay in the swollen rivers much longer than the males. When the water levels eventually lower, there is an abundance of food, the perfect opportunity for the baby dolphin and mum to feast and build up their strength. The baby will suckle on its mother’s milk for the first year so it is important that there is plenty of food for mum to sustain the production of milk. Young dolphins start out their life a dark grey colour, turning light grey in adolescence. It takes 2-3 years until the babies are independent adults. This extended time together gives the little dolphin all the skills they need to take on the river as a successful dolphin.

They vary from grey to pink depending on age, but they are best known for being pink in colour. Nobody knows exactly why they take on this pink hue; it could have something to do with the temperature of the water, repeated abrasions of their skin, or perhaps because of the red mud on the riverbed. Really, nobody knows for sure.

Pink dolphins are listed as endangered, but it is not known how many there are left. They face many threats. The rivers are becoming contaminated with dangerous substances such as mercury, a result of illegal mining in the area. The mercury seeps into the fish that they eat, poisoning them in return. They are also at risk from fishing practices. They often get caught up in fishing gear, but are also deliberately hunted and killed. They are considered competition for the fishermen looking for catfish, so to increase their success rate, they will kill the dolphins. Off the back of this, the dolphins are also killed and used as bait for Piracatinga fishery, an industry that fetches the fishermen much higher prices and has also created a market for dolphin carcasses.

Efforts made for their protection include ensuring better standards in fishing - in 2012 the pink dolphin was declared a national treasure, and as such it is now illegal to kill the pink dolphin. But there is still a long way to go to ensure the protection of this unique dolphin, and that's why we do what we do. 

HOW TO HELP 

Inspired by animals that Gillie and Marc met on their travels, we invite the public to discover and interact with these beautiful creatures up close and personal – this allows audiences to connect, take photographs and share their favourite species with friends and family.

With more exposure comes more awareness and builds on the love we already have for animals around the world. With love comes a greater sense of urgency to create a change and save all endangered animals. 

​The sculpture will be aligned with the hashtag #LoveTheLast to raise unparalleled awareness about the sculpture’s cause across the globe.

To help protect these animals, please donate to the WWF: https://www.wwf.sg/

PARTNER