A resident population of bottlenose dolphins inhabits the inner estuary of the Gulf of Guayaquil. This population has lived in isolation for thousands of years from other common bottlenose dolphin populations living along the coast of Ecuador. They have evolved in this dynamic environment characterized by a high tidal range, low salinity, strong currents, and high productivity.

Your guide is a marine biologist who has been studying this endangered dolphin population for 30 years. Tourist boats are used as research platforms to collect important information for population management.