Seeing dolphins frolicking in the water is a sight to behold—but seeing two pink dolphins feels downright unreal. But for a couple fishing in the Louisiana River, the two rare dolphins were a reality.
Thurman Gustin, a Houston native, and his girlfriend were shocked when they saw the bubble gum pair of cetaceans in the water around 9 a.m. on July 12. "We were both freaking out," Gustin told McClatchy News. "We were like, 'Oh my god, it's so pretty.' ... I didn't even know there was such a thing as a pink dolphin."
Naturally, Gustin paused fishing, turned off the boat, and pulled out his camera. He told Fox 35 Orlando, "I have never seen anything like it and just wanted to save the memories."
While he didn't get both dolphins on film, he was able to capture the bigger of the two. He wanted to preserve and share the experience with others but not interfere with the dolphins' morning swim.
"I didn't want to bother them, so I got my proof and left. I had no idea what a big deal it was until the video went viral," he told the outlet. The video, posted to Gustin's Facebook page, has received over 28,000 views. He also shared it on the Galveston Saltwater Fishing Facebook group, where it received hundreds more shares and responses.
Viewers wondered if the pair were albino bottlenose dolphins or if they were Amazon River dolphins.
Typically, Amazon River dolphins are only found in freshwater in South America. Albino dolphins are incredibly rare. Albinism is a genetic mutation that makes an animal's skin white or pinkish. Their skin is almost see-through, which reveals the blood vessels underneath and gives the dolphin a pink complexion. Another trademark characteristic of albinism is red eyes.
While we don't have answers on how exactly the most recently-spotted dolphins are pink, this isn't the first time a pink dolphin has been seen in these waters. In 2007, a dolphin affectionately named "Pinky" was seen in the Cameron Parish area.
According to Fox 5 DC, she was seen again with her calf in 2017 and 2019. The calf was also pink. According to National Geographic, the chances of Pinky giving birth to a calf with her genetic mutation was 50/50 if she mated with a gene carrier. For all her offspring to be pink, she must mate with another albino dolphin.
READ MORE: Drone Footage Captures Epic Dolphin Feeding Frenzy
