The Bolivian river dolphin has many morphological differences with respect to other dolphins in Peru, Ecuador or Brazil, and it is considered a species in itself. It differs from other species by the greater number of teeth, larger size, and a smaller cranial cavity.

After more than 30 years of scientific controversy, genetic and molecular biology, studies have recently confirmed that the river dolphin found in Bolivian territory belongs to a unique species in the world, irreplaceable and confined solely to Bolivian territory. The same studies that confirmed this fact have also revealed that Inia boliviensis (scientific name of the Bolivian dolphin - D'Orbigny, 1834) has undergone a fascinating evolutionary process, since the ancestor of the species arrived in Bolivian territory and never again had genetic contact with the rest of the dolphins of the central Amazon, producing a violent speciation within Bolivian territory about 5000 to 50,000 years ago and not 5 to 8 million years ago as previously believed.

The causes of this particular process have attracted the attention of scientists and it is now believed that the characteristics of the Bolivian Amazon which differ markedly from those of the central Amazon have greatly influenced the process that gave rise to this new species.

We have been actively participating in supporting research of the Bolivian Dolphin though workshops that have taken place onboard our ship.

See 2 more unique characteristics of our river tour destination in the Llanos de Moxos:

Llanos de Moxos: Largest protected wetland in the World

Archeology: Beni and the Pre-columbian mounds