Louisiana Boaters Spotted Extremely Rare Pink Dolphin

For years a very rare and beautiful pink dolphin has roamed the waters of Louisiana, shocking onlookers with her very unique skin color.

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It is widely known that dolphins have pink bellies, but completely pink bodies are very rare indeed. Scientists theorize that pink dolphins have albinism, a genetic defect where their bodies do not produce the normal chemicals that pigment the skin grey.

The dolphin in question is known to local as Pinky, and it has been swimming the shipping channel since at least 2007.

Pinky’s albinism is “exceptionally rare, but not unheard of,” said Eric Hovland, associate curator at the Florida Aquarium in Tampa. “Since there’s no pigment there, the only coloration comes from the blood vessels and the tissues.”

Albinism affects one out of every 10,000 mammals, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But most of what’s known about the condition has come from research on humans. Very little is know about albino dolphins, NOAA says, because of “their extreme rarity.”

Despite her skin color Pinkie is just like any other dolphin. Pinky is often spotted riding the wake which is a common dolphin-friendly activity.

Until very very recently, nobody was able to confirm Pinkie’s gender. Many assumed she was female because of her color. Last year someone managed to finally get close enough to Pinkie during mating season…

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Captain Erik Rue, the captain of a charter boat, captured snapshots of her swimming around Lake Charles, Lousiana. Turns out she is a girl!

“I’ve taken a ton of pictures of her mating and it proved she’s a female,” he told ABC News. “I believe I’m first one who saw her and I know I’m the first one to take pictures of her.”

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Now that we now her gender we just can’t wait for her to have babies, who knows, maybe we will be due some more pink dolphins!?

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