NO, you’re not seeing the world through rose-coloured glasses: This albino dolphin is pink.
The unique bottlenose - first spotted in Lake Calcasieu, an inland saltwater estuary in Louisiana, by boat captain Erik Rue, 42, in 2007 - has surfaced again.
And comments from heavy-hitters including the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society suggest it’s real.
Tourists are flocking to the lake in hopes of seeing the rare mammal.
Mr Rue said “Pinky” “looks like it just came out of a paint booth”.
"I just happened to see a little pod of dolphins, and I noticed one that was a little lighter,” he told London’s Telegraph newspaper.
"It was absolutely stunningly pink.
"I had never seen anything like it. It's the same color throughout the whole body.”
“Pinky” is believed to be the only pink dolphin in the world, and has “reddish” eyes. It is usually spotted with its dark grey mother.
There are only 14 other known albino dolphins in the world, all of them white.
"The dolphin appears to be healthy and normal other than its coloration, which is quite beautiful and stunningly pink,” said Mr Rue, who estimates he has spotted Pinky more than 40 times."The mammal is entirely pink from tip to tail and has reddish eyes indicating its albinism. The skin appears smooth, glossy pink and without flaws."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."Albinism is a genetic condition caused by a lack of melanin. It is seen in many species, including humans.The international attention focused on the dolphin has led to warning from conservationists.
Senior biologist with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society Regina Asmutis-Silvia said people should not get too close to the dolphin.
"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,” she said.
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The unique bottlenose - first spotted in Lake Calcasieu, an inland saltwater estuary in Louisiana, by boat captain Erik Rue, 42, in 2007 - has surfaced again.
And comments from heavy-hitters including the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society suggest it’s real.
Tourists are flocking to the lake in hopes of seeing the rare mammal.
Mr Rue said “Pinky” “looks like it just came out of a paint booth”.
"I just happened to see a little pod of dolphins, and I noticed one that was a little lighter,” he told London’s Telegraph newspaper.
"It was absolutely stunningly pink.
"I had never seen anything like it. It's the same color throughout the whole body.”
“Pinky” is believed to be the only pink dolphin in the world, and has “reddish” eyes. It is usually spotted with its dark grey mother.
There are only 14 other known albino dolphins in the world, all of them white.
"The dolphin appears to be healthy and normal other than its coloration, which is quite beautiful and stunningly pink,” said Mr Rue, who estimates he has spotted Pinky more than 40 times."The mammal is entirely pink from tip to tail and has reddish eyes indicating its albinism. The skin appears smooth, glossy pink and without flaws."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."Albinism is a genetic condition caused by a lack of melanin. It is seen in many species, including humans.The international attention focused on the dolphin has led to warning from conservationists.
Senior biologist with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society Regina Asmutis-Silvia said people should not get too close to the dolphin.
"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,” she said.
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