Breaking news: Amazon River Dolphins to be released into Lake Marguerite

In a recent partnership between the McCormick Ranch Property Owners Association, the City of Scottsdale, and the American Cetacean Society (ACS), we have been chosen to be the pilot program to release a pod of Amazon River Dolphins into Lake Marguerite.

Uko Gorter, National ACS President stated, "We have been monitoring Lake Marguerite for quite some time. The abundant amounts of fish and turtles in the lake closely mimic what Amazon River Dolphins eat in their native habitat. The Scottsdale climate is also ideal for these amazing creatures. The Lake is naturally cooled and we expect that the dolphins will thrive in this new habitat."

Like many cetaceans, Amazon River Dolphins have been put under immense pressure. Their numbers are dwindling due to loss of habitat, poaching, and other environmental aspects.

Diane Glim, past ACS President said, "Our ultimate goal is to introduce these magnificent creatures to various places throughout the United States. We are excited on the premise of allowing this species numbers to grow."

We will see just four dolphins inhabit the lake to start. As the largest lake in McCormick Ranch, this is the ideal number. There is enough food to support them and the four dolphins are enough to start reproducing. All babies will be moved to other lakes once they reach maturity.

While this is not being done for tourism, it is expected to bring many more tourists to the area. While not as active as a bottlenose dolphin and other ocean species, they still are regularly seen on the surface. They won't often jump out of the water but it is spectacular once they do. It is expected that they will be a nice complement to the bird wildlife already in the area, including great blue herons, egrets, and the occasional bald eagle.

The release date for the dolphins isn't set yet. But, it is widely expected to be in the September or October of 2019.

Stay tuned for additional updates on this exciting new partnership!