Amazon at record low due to drought: freshwater dolphins die

The Amazon basin is suffering from the worst drought since records began, with devastating consequences for wildlife and local populations.

In Lake Tefe, an important habitat for endangered freshwater dolphins, water levels continue to fall, exposing sandbanks and leaving less space for these rare aquatic mammals.

Researchers at the Mamiraua Institute for Sustainable Development are witnessing the devastating effects of this environmental crisis. Miriam Marmontel, head of the dolphin project, reports that the alarming rate of deaths is an average of one per day.

The exact cause of death is still being investigated, but the extreme conditions undoubtedly contributed to it.

As the lake has been reduced in size, the dolphins now live closer to human activities, especially boat traffic.

In the narrowed main channel, which is now only 2 metres deep and 100 metres wide, two dolphins recently died in collisions with ships. This tragic situation highlights the growing conflict between wildlife and human needs in a rapidly changing ecosystem.

The impacts of the drought are not only affecting wildlife. Riverine communities across the Amazon are facing unprecedented challenges, with many stranded as water levels become too low for boat transport, their main means of transport and trade.

Francisco Alvaro Santos, a resident of Lake Tefe, told Reuters about the community's plight: “Water means everything to us. It is part of our daily life, the means of transport for everyone who lives here. Without water, we are nobody!”

The severity of this year's drought has surprised many. Clodomar Lima, a local fisherman, noted: “Nobody thought this drought would come so quickly or that it would surpass last year's drought.”

With the dry season still lasting more than a month, concerns are growing that conditions will worsen further.

Last year's drought led to the deaths of over 200 endangered freshwater dolphins in Lake Tefe due to excessively high water temperatures. Although this year's numbers of these animals are not as high, researchers fear that the situation could worsen if water levels continue to drop.

The environmental crisis in the Amazon region is putting the situation of the unique wildlife and the resilience of the local population to a severe test.