Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

Albino Dolphin Found — It’s a Delightful Shade of PINK!!

Posted by "GrrlScientist" on July 20, 2007
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Image: Captain Erik Rue.

Captain Erik Rue of Calcasieu Charter Service, located south of Lake Charles, Louisiana, has discovered himself to be a sudden celebrity because he took photographs of a pink dolphin recently. Rue and a boatload of guests saw the young dolphin on a charter trip on June 24.

El capitan Erik Rue se ha hecho famoso por haber captado unas fotografias de un delfin albino ( Rosa ) en Louisiana.

Rue published images of the pink dolphin on his website.

In a telephone interview last week, Rue said he has seen the extraordinary dolphin again.

“He is in a channel,” remarked Rue. “Our dolphins tend to stay (in our estuary).”

Rue said the area in which the dolphin has been spotted is rich in food sources for dolphins and the same ones tend to inhabit the area.

In the commentary on his Web site, Rue wrote;

It appears to be an uncanny freak of nature, an albino dolphin, with reddish eyes and glossy pink skin. It is small in comparison to the others it is traveling with and appears to be a youngster traveling with mama. After spotting the beautiful mammal cruising with a pod of four other dolphins, Rue and his guests Randy and Peyton Smith and Greg and Sam Elias of Monroe, LA idled nearby while watching and photographing the unusual sight for more than an hour.

Our expectations are high that we will see this amazing mammal again as it was in an area frequented by the gentle mammals and one confirmed report has it being spotted at least a month earlier in a nearby location. If it does turn up again, it will be a welcome surprise to our guests.

Is this a result of all the pollutants in the area?

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Comments

  1. #1 Brandon
    July 20, 2007

    Is that red thing on his head an eye? Can he see out of those?

  2. #2 "GrrlScientist"
    July 20, 2007

    yes, in fact that is an eye, and it is likely that he can see out of his eyes, although the sunlight will make him (her?) go blind fairly quickly.

  3. #3 katchaya
    July 20, 2007

    I know I am dating myself, but wasn’t there a whole story line on the original tv show “FLIPPER” that dealt with an albino dolphin?

  4. #4 katchaya
    July 20, 2007

    I knew I didn’t hallucinate that….
    http://www.tv.com/flipper-1964/the-white-dolphin/episode/148510/summary.html

  5. #5 Adrienne
    July 20, 2007

    Aww, will it really go blind? Can a blind dolphin survive? Maybe some aquarium should catch the mom and baby and put them in captivity to help keep the baby from going blind.

  6. #6 subcorpus
    July 20, 2007

    amazing …
    so there are no pink dolphins in captivity …
    i thought i had read that somewhere …

  7. #7 Oran_Taran
    July 20, 2007

    There are river dolphins in the amazon and in Asia that are almost blind, and rely on their echolocation to hunt and communicate.

    Regular dolphins also use echolocation… I’d think it could survive a while with just echolocation couldn’t it?

    I’m guessing the albino dolphin’s biggest threat is predators (sharks), not going blind.

  8. #8 Bob O'H
    July 21, 2007

    katchaya – I think we might have been less worried about you if you had hallucinated that. How are you able to remember Flipper episodes? Have you seen a psychiatrist about this?

    Bob

  9. #9 Torbjörn Larsson, OM
    July 21, 2007

    Bob, some people have eidetic memories.

    At least, that is how I remember it.

  10. #10 Scott M
    July 21, 2007

    Re: Adrienne’s comment about catching the dolphin. If a blind wild dolphin isn’t able to survive, I don’t see captivity as an improvement. And certainly not for the sighted mother!

  11. #11 Pepsi
    March 4, 2009

    You know what? I’m not trying to be rude here, but some of your comments are just dumb. What’s wrong with remembering Flipper episodes and what does that have anything to do with seeing a pyschiatrist? And “captivity” to a blind dolphin would give it the opportunity to still live without being in danger. It could be fed every day and live a happy life.

  12. #12 Rick
    March 7, 2009

    Umm pepsi i agree that some of the comments are dumb but im sorry i have to dissagree with you on the captivity thing because in my view point wild animals should remain wild though yes i feel sorry for the dolphin if it does go blind but i don’t view captivity as a happy life, maybe long but not happy. not to mention if it is captured and held in captivity it would be put on display to see such a beutiful animal would be taken advantage of and the people who come to see him would not apreciate him as much as they would if they were to go out in the lake or ocean where ever he is

  13. #13 james
    June 16, 2009

    it is so awsome i mean lol