Pink river dolphins face rising mercury threat in Amazon

Dolphin populations in this part of the Amazon have plunged, with Trujillo's monitoring showing a 52% decline

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A flash of pink breaks the muddy surface of the Amazon River as scientists and veterinarians, waist-deep in the warm current, patiently work a mesh net around a pod of river dolphins.

They draw it tighter with each pass, and a spray of silver fish glistens under the harsh sun as they leap to escape the net.

When the team hauls a dolphin into a boat, it thrashes as water streams from its pink-speckled sides, and the crew quickly ferries it to the sandy riverbank where adrenaline-charged researchers lift it onto a mat. They have 15 minutes — the limit for how long a dolphin can safely be out of the water — to complete their work.

Fernando Trujillo, a marine biologist leading the effort, kneels beside the animal's head, shielding its eye with a small cloth so it can't see what's happening. He rests his hand gently on the animal and speaks in low tones.

“They've never felt the palm of a hand. We try to calm them,” said Trujillo, sporting a pink dolphin bandana. “Taking a dolphin out of the water, it’s a kind of abduction”

One person counts the dolphin’s breaths. Another wets its skin with a sponge while the others conduct multiple medical tests that will help show how much mercury is coursing through the Amazon's most graceful predators.

Mercury threat spreads through the Amazon food chain