Pink dolphin appears in US lake

[Breaking News Breaking News]

The world's only pink Bottlenose dolphin which was discovered in an inland lake in Louisiana, USA, has become such an attraction that conservationists have warned tourists to leave it alone.
 
telegraph.co.uk
Last Updated: 12:45PM GMT 02 Mar 2009

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.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopi...-lake.html

[DreamTime]

I love it! Unconditional love in a dolphin!

[Sily]

That is the *prettiest* dolphin I've ever seen!  icon_3jump

[AndrewX]

All dolphins are divine creatures.  I am blessed to be able to go to many a beach near my house and swim with them.  Totally blessed.

[DreamTime]

Andrew, have you met the pink dolphin?

[AndrewX]

No, but I have been known to see pink elephants occasionally.icon_el

lololicon_biggrin

I'd think pink dophins could be likened to hen's teeth DT.  I'd never heard of them till now.  It looks amazing.  Beautiful. 

I can't clearly recall, but I thought some cultures' prophecies about 2012 made mention of such anomolies occuring in some sort of animals???  It may have been NativeAmericanIndian prophecies?  Not sure, but something about this rings a bell.  Rick might know.  

Here's a sight I stumbled across once again, and I thought was unreal.  Look through the 'Explore' section, and when you're in it, move your cursor around the screen and it'll bring up small icons that you can further go into.  Excellent site.  A must see I'd say.  Everyone here will love it. It even has an optimized section to go into on the front page for lower speed bandwidth computers.  But the enhanced section is where it's at I'd say.  Have a looky in a dark room where it's quiet and turn up the volume a little on your speakers.  

http://www.ashesandsnow.org/

 

[Sily]

Well, I think I might order this book - Journey of the Pink Dolphins by Sy Montgomery.  What a fascinating fantasy this makes:

"Pink dolphins--and yes, in the Amazon River the flamingo-colored mammals do exist--are believed by Brazilians and Peruvians to take human form, impregnate women, lure lovers to an underwater paradise, and in various ways drive those who encounter them mad.

They seem to have worked their magic on science writer Sy Montgomery, who journeys through rain forests and sunken cities in a mad-dash pursuit of the enigmatic creatures. Despite encounters with piranha-filled waters, toxic ants, and large rats--not to mention boat failures, foreign language problems, and alternate blasts of sun and rain--the persistent Montgomery pushes happily on, offering a lyrical account as intoxicating as the subject itself. She eventually makes contact, swimming with them, even holding one in her arms, but that may be the least relevant aspect of the entire book. Montgomery turns nature into a bewildering drug, opening doors into cultural and biological worlds invisible to most, but which teem with as much unseen life as a drop of river water held under a microscope."

---

Also, I feel a new avatar coming on.... hehe.. what a glorious picture that dolphin makes!  icon_lupe

[AndrewX]

"Pink dolphins--and yes, in the Amazon River the flamingo-colored mammals do exist...

They certainly do Sily, but not the species that appeared in the Gulf of Mexico as mentioned.  The Amazonian pinks are a freshwater dolphin with an elongated face and a completly different body to the real oceananic dolphins.  This on is very rare, I've never heard or seen anything like it in my lifelong fishing circles or anywhere else.

Gee I like your new avitar Sily... where did you get it from?

... only jokin' Sily, only jokin.icon_megagrin

 

[Sily]

Haha... well, I like your new signature.  :D

Thanks for the claification of fresh and salt water.