Extremely Rare Albino Dolphin, ‘Pinky,’ Spotted In Louisiana River To The Delight Of Fans

Fisherman Thurman Gustin shared on Facebook a video of a pink dolphin he spotted while on a boat in Louisiana, captioning the post, “Saw 2 pink dolphins today! So amazing!”

The video features only one of the two dolphins coming up for air while one man points out, “There it is!” 

Gustin shared that he was fishing in the Old River when he saw something weird in the water. Then he spotted two pink dolphins going near the other fishing boats. This is the first time he has ever seen a pink dolphin in his 20 years of fishing. 

Albino bottlenose dolphins are known to live in that area and have been spotted multiple times by fishermen. One seems to be a frequent visitor and has become somewhat of a local celebrity, earning the name “Pinky.” 

Pinky has been spotted multiple times, including in 2017 and 2019 when Pinky was seen with a calf. 

In 2015 Captain Erik Rue claimed that he took photos of Pinky mating, proving that she is a female. He also asserted that she typically comes close to boats, about five to ten feet. He was the first one to spot her back in 2007. 

While dolphins are typically grey, a genetic mutation can occur when they are born, causing their skin to appear more pink and white. This type of mutation is rare and only 20 dolphins have been spotted to have them. It is suspected that Pinky is an albino dolphin, but it is also possible she may have another type of genetic condition.

Another type of dolphin that are typically pink is the Amazon River dolphin. This species only live in freshwater and are typically found in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins in Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia and Guyana.