Rare Pink Dolphin Spotted Off Louisiana, Video Goes Viral

A rare pink dolphin was spotted swimming in Louisiana waters last week. The video of the mammal was shot by Thurman Gustin, who has been fishing for more than 20 years, according to CBS News. He spotted not one but two pink dolphins in Cameron Parish near the Gulf of Mexico on July 12 and shared the video in a Facebook post, which later went viral. Despite being accustomed to dolphin sightings in the area, this particular encounter took him completely by surprise, Mr Gustin told CBS News.

Rare pink dolphin spotted in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana. So beautiful. #MarineLife #wildlife

🎥 by Thurman Gustin pic.twitter.com/ZQXw98AWRq

— Brad Bo 🇺🇸 (@BradBeauregardJ) July 19, 2023

He even compared it to some of his most remarkable wildlife experiences, such as witnessing a bobcat swimming across a bayou in Texas, an event that left a lasting impression on him.

"That was cool but nothing like this," Mr Gustin told the outlet about the bobcat encounter.

"As we were going I noticed something just under the water that I knew wasn't normal. I stopped the boat and up popped this beautiful pink dolphin. I had to record it," he further said. 

Mr Gustin's video shows one pink dolphin briefly coming out of the water before diving back under.

"I go fishing all the time," he told USA Today. "This was my third trip to Louisiana this year. I got very lucky because such spotting is extremely rare. People who have lived their whole lives there haven't seen anything like this."

Mr Gustin called the experience "unforgettable".

Although there is a species known as the pink river dolphin inhabiting freshwater river basins in South America, it was unlikely to be the species Mr Gustin encountered. The most probable candidates were bottlenose dolphins, typically seen in the gray coloration, common in the Gulf of Mexico.

According to the Blue World Institute, dolphins displaying pink or white coloring are rare and often attributed to albinism. Unfortunately, these unique creatures garner human attention and, in some unfortunate instances, may be captured and held in captivity.

The dolphin that Gustin encountered might have been 'Pinky', a renowned dolphin from southern Louisiana, as per USA Today. Pinky, first sighted in 2007 in the Calcasieu River, shares similar characteristics of an albino dolphin, with reddish eyes and visible blood vessels due to the lack of pigment.

Pinky has even gained a considerable following on Facebook, where people share their encounters with her.