IQUITOS, Peru – The Plight of the Pink River Dolphin is a short documentary investigating the illegal exploitation of endangered pink river dolphins in the Amazon, driven by a myth about their magical properties. The film reveals how pusangas—perfumes made from dolphin oil and body parts—are sold in markets and online, despite the species being protected by law.
The documentary follows Romi Castagnino as she explores the illegal wildlife trade in Iquitos, Peru, specifically in the Belén Market, where dolphin-derived products are sold under the guise of their supposed aphrodisiacal and magical properties. Through interviews with experts, local activists, and Indigenous community members, including Leonardo Tello and wildlife conservationist Cédric Gilleman, to understand the cultural context behind these beliefs and the impact they have on dolphin populations.
The myth of the shape-shifting dolphin, once a colonial-era tale, has been exploited by urban shamans to fuel the demand for dolphin products, resulting in the illegal killing of dolphins for their oil. Despite this exploitation, the documentary also highlights efforts to protect the dolphins through education, conservation, and community involvement, offering a message of hope for the species’ survival.
The film sheds light on the harmful intersection of myth, greed, and environmental destruction while advocating for the urgent need to protect the pink river dolphin from extinction.
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Banner image: A pink river dolphin. Image ©Aflomotion, Pond5.
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Transcript
Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors.The first story you hear upon arriving in the Amazon is the tale of the pink dolphin.
It is said that [their] oil…
attracts the person you want to conquer.
It contains the natural pheromones of pink river dolphins.
… Pour four drops…
… And she’ll be madly in love with you.
These are beliefs, there’s no scientific evidence.
… they have to kill the dolphins to extract their oil.
doing bad things.
This tiny bottle contains “pusanga”
a so-called “love perfume”
said to contain the very essence of seduction.
With just a few drops you are supposed to become irresistible
to anyone you desire.
But these perfumes, sold in the Amazon,
also contain the oil and body parts of pink river dolphins…
a troubling relic of a local legend.
This myth is well-known to everyone.
…The one about the pink dolphin that leaves the water and transforms into a “gringo.”
He wears a hat made of a ray to hide his blowhole,
a crab for a watch, and shoes made from a carachama [catfish].
So this dolphin leaves the water to seduce a girl in the village,
and impregnates her.
Urban shamans have profited from the popular belief in this tale,
convincing people that their perfumes, infused with pink river dolphin oil,
give them the power to control others.
Pusangas are sold both online and in markets
where the illegal wildlife trade operates largely under the radar.
I wanted to dive deep into this complex web of folklore,
cultural beliefs and their deadly effects on the endangered river dolphin population
so I made my way to the Amazon to find out more.
Pink river dolphins, one of the most fascinating
and enigmatic creatures of the Amazon Basin,
already face extinction due to habitat loss and bycatch.
The issue is indiscriminate fishing, where everything is destroyed.
In the past 50 years, the dolphin population has decreased by more than half.
Fewer than 10,000 remain in the wild.
Manuel notes that the endangered status of the pink river dolphin
could also make these love perfumes more appealing to buyers…
further exacerbating their population decline.
However, not all of these pusangas actually contain pink river dolphin oil,
as some shamans and sellers have been caught deceiving the public.
Regardless, this belief continues to drive the capture of pink dolphins.
To look for the perfume, I headed to Belén Market
notorious for being a center of illegal wildlife trade.
While most perfumes I found were plant-based,
those containing pink river dolphin oil were hidden,
accessible only to those who knew to ask.
Manuel told me they don’t confiscate pusangas…
We usually raid live animals.
But one thing is clear, it is illegal to sell pusangas.
Capturing [dolphins], any kind of transformation, its commercialization are regulated.
But that doesn’t stop pusangas being sold.
The pink river dolphin is deeply embedded in Amazonian myth and folklore.
So why does this belief persist?
To get some answers, I met Leonardo,
an Indigenous Kukama reporter.
The first story you hear upon arriving in the Amazon is the tale of the pink dolphin.
In riverine communities, children of unknown fathers
are often believed to be “children of the dolphin.”
This colonial-era tale has troubling ties
to gender-based exploitation in local communities.
This story reflects deep-seated feelings, memories,
and ongoing violence
against [Indigenous] women, often perpetrated by outsiders.
Some urban shamans have exploited this tale
to manipulate people emotionally and spiritually for profit.
But the communities who have lived by the river for centuries
have a much different relationship to dolphins.
We Kukama have always lived alongside big rivers,
developing a profound relationship with the water.
To us, the river is not merely a channel for travel or bathing and drinking water,
it’s where we live,
home to both humans and non-humans.
When my father died, he grabbed my hand.
I felt a powerful energy enter my body.
I cure them with medicinal plants.
In the Kukama culture, pink river dolphins
are seen as enchanted beings deserving of deep respect.
Sometimes when you travel down the river one follows.
You see bubbles. They accompany you.
I asked him what he thinks of love perfumes.
I don’t engage in that because true healing comes from plants.
You would have to kill dolphins.
It is a very complex issue.
Because…
The problem is social.
The desire for connection and a sense of belonging.
On the ground, people like Cédric Gilleman
are protecting pink river dolphins through a blend of environmental
and cultural education.
There are many myths about dolphins
It also comes from them, from children too
who hear from their grandmothers, their grandfathers…
So we try to convince them that it is invented by myths…
We must work with the youth because they are the future of the region.
Many people from communities …
have a lot of respect for [river dolphins]
Some of them … ask them for permission [to fish].
They perform a ritual.
I’m going to smoke this and blow it over you,
thanking the river, the mountains, the jungle
everything we hold dear.
With this ritual, may you sleep well and dream beautifully.