BEHAVIOUR OF THE AMAZON DOLPHIN 



63 



5.2.1968 

 Rio Ibaré. 



9.00: Course taken down the river Ibaré from Puerto Almacén. Again several 

 buffeos seen in the river in front of the settlement. The larger animais are pink. 

 When diving deep, the whole of the dorsal fin and the latter part of the body, 

 although not the tail, appears out of the water. The curved part of the body visible 

 above the water, is almost triangular. 



9.10: An lnia is shot at by a hunter. The wound, situated immediately below 

 the dorsal fin, bleeds freely. A second buffeo cornes immediately to the wounded 

 animal, they swim close to one another and then they both dive and disappear. 



9.45: Go further up the river for 15 minutes but no buffeos to be seen. The 

 current is stronger, the surface of the water rippled. Return to the area where the 

 lnia was wounded. Nothing to be seen. Has a zone of repulsion been formed ? 



14.15: A large lnia sighted at the entrance of a canal of Rio Ibaré, right bank. 

 The surface of the canal is covered with water lilies. As the boat approached the 

 buffeo, it leapt out of the water. It is pink and very big. 



15.00: Return to Puerto Almacén. Two large pink animais sighted at the 

 anchorage in front of Puerto Almacén. 



16.00: Departure from Puerto Almacén up the river. Strong current, steep 

 river banks. By the first settlement, a buffeo. As is the case in Puerto Almacén, 

 the animais seem to prefer the river near the settlements. The current is weaker 

 here, the river is wider and forms a sort of lake. Set forth further up the river at 

 approximately 4 knots. 



16.15: Second buffeo sighted. Similar biotop. No settlements. The lnia is in 

 the shaded part of the river. It dives as soon as the motor boat approaches and 

 crosses the danger zone (the boat) under water. 



16.30: More buffeos sighted. Two animais swimming close together. They 

 too dive and cross the danger zone under water. 



16.45: Reached a small lagoon on the right river bank. No buffeos in the 

 lagoon, very shady. Water still and very muddy. A lot of water weeds on the 

 surface. Departure down the river. 



17.25: Arrivai in Puerto Almacén. Several hunters in canoës at the junction 

 of the Rio Ibaré and the Toribio canal. Although they have shot repeatedly at 

 the buffeos, the animais stay in the same area. The same three animais circle at 

 the anchorage on the west bank in front of the saw mill. 



18.00: One buffeo shot with a 22 mm rifle. An energetic slap on the surface 

 of the water with its tail and then it dives rapidly. Thirty seconds later, a small 

 grey and the wounded pink larger animal surfaced swimming close together. 

 Dived together but only the pink animal reappeared. The animal breathed regularly 

 shortly after shooting, swam quietly without showing any abnormal reaction. 

 In spite of the hunt, the animais remained in the same area. 



