Where do river dolphins live?

River dolphins are freshwater cetaceans adapted to large river systems rather than the open ocean. In South America, the Amazon river dolphin lives in the Amazon and Orinoco basins, while in Asia species occur in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Indus river systems. These animals use echolocation to navigate murky waters. Several river dolphin species are endangered because of habitat degradation, dams, pollution, and accidental entanglement in fishing gear. Their fragmented habitats make conservation especially difficult.