Pink Dolphin

CNN.com

This extremely rare and beautiful ‘pink dolphin’ was first spotted and photographed by Captain Erik Rue of Calcasieu Charter Service in 2007 during a fishing trip on Calcasieu Lake south of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Captain Rue has seen the albino dolphin several times, the latest being on November 17th, when it appeared to be in good health.

It appears to be an extremely rare albino dolphin, with reddish eyes and glossy pink skin. It is small in comparison to the others it appears to be a juvenile traveling with his/her mother. After spotting the beautiful mammal cruising with a pod of four other dolphins, Captain Rue and his guests idled nearby while watching and photographing the unusual sight for more than an hour.

Albino dolphins, such as the one viewed at the Louisiana shores, are extremely rare. Since 1963, only 14 such dolphins have been viewed, with only three being spotted in the Gulf of Mexico since 1994. However, according to National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) marine biologist Patricia Rosel (currently studying genetic glitches found in bottlenose dolphins), pink albino dolphins are unheard of. Since the first sighting of this dolphin calf by Rue, it has been spotted several times, and Rosel said she is also hoping to catch a glimpse of the calf.

According to dolphin experts, this calf is certainly an albino. While most albino dolphins are white, the warm Gulf waters may be a reason for the pink color of the viewed calf. The calf's pinkish appearance is also likely produced by blood vessels underneath its relatively thin layer of blubber which create a pinkish-red hue that would ordinarily be masked by a typical dolphins gary coloration.