Pinkie, the Rare Pink Dolphin, Resurfaces in Louisiana; Scientists Say She Might be Pregnant

Social media fans were very excited to spot Pinky again. The bottlenose dolphin with a bubble-gum pink color recently resurfaced in Louisiana, and she might even be pregnant.

Discovery News reported that Pinky was first seen in 2007 in the Calcasieu River by Erik Rue, a charter boat captain.

"It was absolutely, stunningly pink. I had never seen anything like it. It's the same color throughout the whole body. It looks like it just came out of a paint booth,” Rue previously told Telegraph.

Rue also told WGNO-TV that he recently saw Pinky mating, which could mean that the dolphin is a female and possibly pregnant. It is unlikely, however, that her offspring would still feature the same distinctive pink color. Pinky would have to mate with another albino to possibly deliver more pink dolphins.

Pinky is most likely an albino, said Greg Barsh, a scientist at the Hudson Alpha Institute for Biotechnology in Alabama who observes the genetics of color changes. The two signs that could confirm Barsh’s statement are the dolphin’s reddish eyes and reddish blood vessels that are visibly obvious through its pale skin. The animal’s very light tone was due to the lack of pigmentation. Albinism reportedly happens when cells that normally produce the pigment melanin, which is responsible for hair, eye and skin color, fail to make any or below normal levels. There is most likely a mutation in one or more of Pinky’s genes. Although her parents may have appeared like ordinary dolphins, both must have been carriers of a single copy of the mutation in the same gene. The combination of the mutation copies would lead to the pink hue of the animal’s skin, National Geographic stated.

It has been about eight years since Pinky was first spotted, but albinism usually includes various health problems. Normally, melanin offers protection against ultraviolet rays from the sun. It also has an essential role in eyesight, which explains why several albinos may suffer from vision problems. Albino animals are quite rare in the wild because of the limitations that their condition pose.

Washington Examiner reported that there were only 14 reported sightings of pink dolphins worldwide. Discovery News wrote that two other dolphin species – the Chinese white dolphin, and the Amazon river dolphin, are also referred to as pink dolphins, although their pinkness are not as bright as Pinky’s.

More news and updates about the pink bottlenose dolphin are expected soon.