Video: Fisherman Spots Pair of Pink Dolphins in Louisiana
While it may sound surprising, dolphins aren't an uncommon sight in the waters of Louisiana. Pink dolphins, however, are much rarer.
Imagine fisherman Thurman Gustin's surprise when he saw two pink dolphins swimming in his usual fishing spot. According to CBS News, Gustin has been fishing in a river in Cameron Parish, LA for more than 20 years. While on a usual outing, he spotted two pink dolphins swimming in the water.
He captured the marine mammals on video popping out of the water for air. The fisherman said dolphins are always in the area, but the incident caught him off guard.
"As we were going I noticed something just under the water that I knew wasn't normal," he recounted. "I [stopped] the boat and up popped this beautiful pink dolphin."
Several dolphins were swimming in the area, and he noted that there were at least two pink dolphins in the pod. Amazon river dolphins have a distinct light rosy hue and exist only in freshwater basins across South America. The animals that Gustin saw were likely bottlenose dolphins with albinism.
It's definitely out of the ordinary for southern Louisiana, but not totally unheard of. Back in 2007, locals fell in love with a pink dolphin spotted in the Calcasieu River, the same area where Gustin saw the two mammals recently. They lovingly named her Pinky, and she has her own Facebook page where people share footage of their encounters with the animal. She's even been seen with a calf in the past, so it's possible one of the dolphins he saw was one of Pinky's offspring.
"I love nature," Gustin marveled. "Always be inspired by nature. It's God's way of saying hello."
Is it a coincidence that these pink beauties emerged in the lead-up to the Barbie movie's release?