A rare pink dolphin was spotted in Louisiana waters on July 12th, by Thurman Gustin. Gustin spotted the dolphin just under the water while fishing in Cameron Parish. Having never seen a pink dolphin before, Gustin got his phone out and started recording. He claims there was a second dolphin, too.
Gustin uploaded his video to the Galveston Saltwater Fishing group on Facebook. The video offers a brief glimpse of a pink fin breaking the surface of the water. Once he had his proof, Gustin left the area as he didn’t want to disturb the sea dwellers. The video quickly went viral as viewers began debating the species of dolphin. Some believe that this dolphin is an Amazon River Dolphin, while others feel its an Albino Bottlenose Dolphin.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, Amazon River Dolphins only live in freshwater and are typically found in South America. The Blue World Institute finds albino dolphins are Bottlenose Dolphins with an extremely rare genetic mutation. The mutation causes the dolphin’s skin to appear pink, or white.
Some believe that this dolphin could be a local celebrity, Pinky. Pinky was first seen in the same area of Cameron Parish in 2007 with her calf. Pinky has been seen several times since then in 2017 and 2019. Albinism in dolphins is extremely rare, it is assumed there were only 20 recorded Albino Bottlenose Dolphins in the mid-20th century.
Perhaps this dolphin is making its appearance because it wants to see the “Barbie” movie coming out this week. I mean really, a pink dolphin? That’s some real dedication to the brand!
