He’s called ‘omacha,’ a dolphin that transforms into a man. Why?

Colombian marine biologist Fernando Trujillo has been named the 2024 Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year. This award is given by the National Geographic Society to an intrepid Explorer who highlights vital issues facing our planet and inspires others to act. “His work in South America enhances protections for endangered wildlife and supports sustainable practices for the betterment of local communities,” says Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO of the Society.

(Understanding the Amazon’s aquatic health through river dolphins.)

Trujillo has dedicated his life to saving the Amazon’s river dolphins, and he was given another name by the Tikuna Indigenous people who live along the Amazon River in Colombia: omacha. At first he didn’t understand why. But after Trujillo figured out the reason, he realized the moniker was so apt he adopted it for his conservation organization. Omacha, in Tikuna culture, is the name of a dolphin that can transform into a man.

“For me, it’s a kind of magic to find dolphins in the forest,” he says. But these freshwater mammals are threatened by fisheries, mining, and deforestation. Trujillo, who’s part of the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Amazon Expedition—a two-year scientific exploration of the river basin—collaborates with residents to develop dolphin-friendly practices that won’t interfere with subsistence fishing. He’s also helped create policies such as the 2023 Global Declaration for River Dolphins, which aims to preserve cetaceans in rivers around the globe.

(This conservationist has a mission: Save the Amazon's dolphins.)