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Amazon River Dolphin

Amazon River Dolphin line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

Amazon River Dolphin full color illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

The Amazon River Dolphin was completed on 4.17.2011. When I first learned of these animals, they seemed to be about my dream animal - lives underwater, in the rainforest, and is a dolphin. While I was drawing this animal, over and over again I thought about how astonishing this dolphin is, and how sad that the Yangtze River Dolphin is now very likely extinct. I took a little more time and put some added elements into the background, as I felt it was important to show the environment - the flooded rainforest - this dolphin could be found.

Information about the Amazon River Dolphin:

The Amazon River Dolphin is is a freshwater mammal native to the rivers and flooded rainforests of Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela. Amazon River Dolphins grow to be about 8.5 to 9.5 feet long (2.5 to 3 meters) and weigh about 200 pounds. Males are normally larger than females. Unlike other dolphins, the Inia geoffrensis does not have a dorsal fin, but rather a uneven shaped hump on its back. During the dry season, these dolphins live in the larger rivers in the rainforest, but during the rainy season the dolphins head into the flooded plains swimming among the submerged trees hunting for prey. These freshwater mammals have about 100 peg-like teeth for catching food. The river dolphin's diet consists of small crustaceans like crabs, small turtles, catfish, piranhas, and other fish.