Amazon Legend

The Amazon River region is home to many rare creatures as well as curious stories and myths about those creatures. One interesting legend tells about a man called Bufeo Colorado.

This strange man dresses normally, but he must wear a white straw panema hat at all times, even at night when he is sleeping. Like other men, he desires to dance with beautiful women and, if possible, he makes love to them. But if he sleeps with a woman, he must not stay with her till dawn. During the hours of darkness, he silently slips out of bed and disappears mysteriously into the night.

Those few women who have dared to remove his hat while he is asleep have reported seeing that he has what looks like a round dolphin-like blow hole on top of his head. If a woman is bold enough to follow him when he leaves, she will see him dive into the Amazon and turn into a dolphin. That is the last she ever sees of him.

According to Brazilian folklore, the dolphin-man called Bufeo Colorado is believed to be from a race of water gods who dwell in beautiful underwater cities. If one of these gods lures a human down into the water, the human is said to be so enchanted that he or she never wants to return to land.