Pink dolphin appears in U.S. lake

[GreenKirby]

I know some people get irritated at how news stories are posted here, but I can't help. A pink dolphin

Charter boat captain Erik Rue, 42, photographed the animal, which is actually an albino, when he began studying it after the mammal first surfaced in Lake Calcasieu, an inland saltwater estuary, north of the Gulf of Mexico in southwestern USA.

Capt Rue originally saw the dolphin, which also has reddish eyes, swimming with a pod of four other dolphins, with one appearing to be its mother which never left its side.

He said: "I just happened to see a little pod of dolphins, and I noticed one that was a little lighter.

"It was absolutely stunningly pink.

"I had never seen anything like it. It's the same color throughout the whole body and it looks like it just came out of a paint booth.

"The dolphin appears to be healthy and normal other than its coloration, which is quite beautiful and stunningly pink.

"The mammal is entirely pink from tip to tail and has reddish eyes indicating it's albinism. The skin appears smooth, glossy pink and without flaws.

"I have personally spotted the pink dolphin 40 to 50 times in the time since the original sighting as it has apparently taken up residence with its family in the Calcasieu ship channel.

"As time has passed the young mammal has grown and sometimes ventures away from its mother to feed and play but always remains in the vicinity of the pod.

"Surprisingly, it does not appear to be drastically affected by the environment or sunlight as might be expected considering its condition, although it tends to remain below the surface a little more than the others in the pod."

Regina Asmutis-Silvia, senior biologist with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, said: "I have never seen a dolphin coloured in this way in all my career.

"It is a truly beautiful dolphin but people should be careful, as with any dolphins, to respect it - observe from a distance, limit their time watching, don't chase or harass it

"While this animal looks pink, it is an albino which you can notice in the pink eyes.

"Albinism is a genetic trait and it unclear as to the type of albinism this animal inherited."

A close relation of dolphins, the Amazon River Botos, called pink dolphins, live in South America in the Amazon.

This is cool. It's like shiny Pokemon except in real life. But of course, how long until man ****s this creature up through either experimentation/poaching/tourists not leaving it alone?

 

[Bowser King]

That is so weird.

I thought it would be a light shade of pink but that's pretty bright.

-Bowser King

 

[saggy_brown]

Actually, pink dolphins are pretty common, just not in the US. There's a lot of them in South America, it's not a new discovery. look it up on google

http://www.dolphins-world.com/Pink_River_Dolphins.html

 

[Gaara♥]

reminds me of the good ol' days when I encountered Red Gyarados ^_^

 

[ndayday]

That thing is seriously too pink.

It would make a good present for a spoiled little girl, don't you think?

 

[MyCurse4Life]

Maybe someone captured a dolphin and just painted it pink like thay gay shark in the movie Shark Tale. But with all due respect, how is the dolphin pink? These are not common are maybe it's a joke I don't know..... It's too bright and what's it's gender....I would understand if it was a girl but if it was a boy than than that would....be..... wierd. This looks like a new idea for pokemon as well because the creator is running out of ideas.

Actually, pink dolphins are pretty common, just not in the US. There's a lot of them in South America, it's not a new discovery. look it up on google

http://www.dolphins-world.com/Pink_River_Dolphins.html

Okay now I get it =/.

 

[slave1]

that is a dang pink squishy thing with fins.

if you painted a dolphin, you would probably kill it. same thing with people.

 

[GoldShadow]

reminds me of the good ol' days when I encountered Red Gyarados ^_^

Ha, that was exactly my first thought too.

 

[M.K]

Heh, that is so cool! I wonder what causes that...and why aren't there pink humans >:o!

 

[wtflove]

I've seen pink dolphins in Malaysia and Singapore... :| I got to touch one. 8D

 

[Mic_128]

Maybe it just eats a lot of shrimp? That's why flamingos turn pink.

 

[Darkslash]

A SHINY DOLPHIN APPEARS!

Any way`s from the article its an albino. Which is strange as you would think something blue grey would turn white. But it`s pink.

OHHH GOD HARO!

 

[_umbra_]

that's pretty sick

so bright

 

[Circus]

Heh, that is so cool! I wonder what causes that...and why aren't there pink humans >:o!

There are pink humans.

Spoiler

I hope everyone can appreciate all the trouble I went to trying to find this. >_<

 

[Gaara♥]

man i miss and love doug ^^^^^^

and I barely looked at the picture right now and yeah thats a very bright pink

 

[Oracle]

Maybe it just eats a lot of shrimp? That's why flamingos turn pink.

Actually they eat a certain flower that contains a ton of pink pigment.

Which is also why flamingos in zoos are more red: they are given artificial pigment that is more red in their food

 

[Hive]

that's so kwl!
now if only we could get an indigo one ^^

 

[Mic_128]

Actually they eat a certain flower that contains a ton of pink pigment.

Which is also why flamingos in zoos are more red: they are given artificial pigment that is more red in their food

Diet

Flamingos filter-feed on brine shrimp. Their oddly-shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they eat, and are uniquely used upside-down. The filtering of food items is assisted by hairy structures called lamellae which line the mandibles, and the large rough-surfaced tongue. The flamingo's characteristic pink colouring is caused by the Beta carotene in their diet. The source of this varies by species, but shrimp and blue-green algae are common sources; zoo-fed flamingos may be given food with the additive canthaxanthin, which is often also given to farmed salmon.

No mention of any flower at all.

 

[Mazaloth]

Very cool. Dolphins are cool. Yup, just plain cool.

 

[Livvers]

Actually, pink dolphins are pretty common, just not in the US. There's a lot of them in South America, it's not a new discovery. look it up on google

http://www.dolphins-world.com/Pink_River_Dolphins.html

That's a different species of dolphin there, bud.

This is akin to a leopard being born without spots(and for any of you smartasses who want to say panthers don't have spots, you're wrong).

 

[kigbariom]

I came in here to post, "maybe it's from all the shrimp" but you beat me to it.
Is it just an Albino trait?

 

[Zero X Unit]

Aww..an albino dolphin <3

 

[Negi-Kun]

Manliest dolphin ever.

 

[POKE40]

reminds me of the good ol' days when I encountered Red Gyarados ^_^

too bad I killed it...
I was surfing and bam! It appeared from nowhere... it caught me off guard.
I found it strange I met it at where I shouldn't have met it......

 

[ExCeL 52]

Muahahha yes...... all according to plan. Someone finally discovered the dolphin.

 

[The furosious robot has left]

Muahahha yes...... all according to plan. Someone finally discovered the dolphin.

well... you realize that you wanted 1 specific bottlenose dolphin of the couple billion there are, to be seen and captured within the lifespan of a dolphin?
You had a risky plan there.