Back to field: A new opportunity to protect the River Dolphin

While some people returned to their offices and children to their classrooms, scientists, and researchers from WWF and Fundación Omacha returned to the expeditions. This time to visit the Amazonian rivers of Napo, Yasuní, and Aguarico, located between Ecuador and Peru, for 10 days. Despite the intense heat and humidity, the excitement of returning to the jungle and obtaining new information that will serve as a tool to conserve and protect river dolphins is greater. Thus begin an impressive journey of more than 200 kilometers.

The river dolphin ignorest borders. Its subtlety and agility flow like the Amazonian River in which it navigates. That’s why they face different challenges and threats to its survival, such as mining, deforestation, construction of hydroelectric plants and oil exploitation. Therefore, knowing the status of these species through expeditions is vital to develop more specific conservation actions.

The Napo-Aguarico 2021 expedition is a binational project that maintains two ambitious objectives. First of all, to estimate the population of pink and gray dolphins in the rivers: Napo, Yasuní, and Aguarico. The second is to monitor them in real time by placing a satellite tracker on two dolphins in the black waters of the Lagartococha River. This last step will help to obtain key information of their movements and priority areas to focus different conservation efforts and strategies.

“This expedition combines the efforts of two countries, allowing the strengthening of technical capacities within the implementation of individual Action Plans.  This is also a space to exchange knowledge and experience to ensure the alignment of actions towards regional objectives. We are contributing to the generation of knowledge for decision-makers regarding the conservation of river dolphins” says Fabiola La Rosa, Wildlife Officer for WWF Peru.

This expedition is part of the South American River Dolphins Initiative, SARDI, in charge of organizing similar research projects and recovering information obtained on the population of these species throughout the region over 20 years now. At the end of each trip, all the information collected is entered into the ‘Delfines de río’ platform, which already has more than 47 thousand records.

The adventure in the Napo Aguarico Expedition 2021

The city of Nuevo Rocafuerte, located in the province of Orellana - Ecuador, was the starting point for the long 10-day river journey. The designated team of experts involved biologists, veterinarians, researchers, and other specialists from WWF-Ecuador, WWF- Peru and Fundación Omacha. At this moment, the teams had two ambitious objectives on the table: The first, to estimate the population of the pink and gray dolphins in the Napo, Yasuní, and Aguarico rivers and the second, to place a satellite tracker on two dolphins in the black waters of the Lagartococha River.

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

"The river dolphin is the jaguar of the freshwater", says María Jimena Valderrama, veterinarian of Fundación Omacha, highlighting the importance of this umbrella species with another example. Not only due to its features like their agility and the majesty with which this species moves in its habitat, but also because its permanence means healthy ecosystems.

To capture a dolphin is like wanting to catch water with our hands. For this reason, when the second phase of the expedition began (to place the earring-type tracking device on the fins of two river dolphins) the task was not easy at all, especially because the researchers had to capture them with great care.

The process of capturing a river dolphin is normally facilitated through the use of beaches or riverbanks. However, the nature of the Lagartococha region in Ecuador presented an additional challenge because of the lack of those formations. The fact that this expedition was an action part of SARDI’s work the researchers were able to apply some specific techniques that were developed over the years to fulfill objectives like this. An opportunity that meant a great learning for the group.
 

Without a hint of fear, the team embarked on the arduous task of capturing the dolphin. In less than 15 minutes they had to put it on the boat, place the tracking earring, monitor its health, and take samples for analysis, according to the plan. During the next three days, one by one, the team members jumped into the cold waters with the aim of capturing a specimen with their light net, made by artisan hands.

Thus, they made multiple captures without being able to retain them inside the nets, because the deep waters allowed the dolphins to sneak underneath. The peculiarities of the river, such as the weather, sometimes extreme due to heavy rains and some other times due to the scorching heat, and its deep but narrow configuration gave ample battle. The team, having exhausted all resources by that time, decided to end the expedition. The lessons learned and the information gathered are invaluable to continue the path to the conservation of the river dolphin, the Amazon, and its ecosystems.

The conservation of the river dolphins has a particular importance. 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 each person who lives on the same planet. “Protecting dolphins can start from our homes, being conscious of the consumption of freshwater. This resource is increasingly scarce in the world, so the ecosystems of the river dolphins are also more limited”, said Jessica Pacheco, Forest Officer for WWF Ecuador.

The home of the river dolphin is our home too and to take care of it is a shared duty. Together is the only possible way to take care of our rivers and keep the Amazon by protecting its incredible biodiversity.

Learn more ...

The Napo-Aguarico 2021 expedition is a binational project with the support and management of the Ministry of the Environment, Water and Ecological Transition of Ecuador (MAATE) and the National Service of Protected Natural Areas of the Peruvian State (SERNANP).

Contact us:

comunicaciones@wwfperu.org

comunicaciones@wwf.org.ec