Rare Sighting of “Pinky” the Dolphin
Several sources have confirmed the sighting of the rare pink dolphin that was first discovered in 2007. After several glimpses over the last 10 years, she has reappeared in the Calcasieu Ship Channel joined with a group of dolphins including another pink porpoise.
According to Popsugar.com, “In 2015, it was reported that Pinky may have been pregnant, so her reported swimming companion might have been her own pink calf.”
Greg Barsh, a scientist who studies the genetics of color variation at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Alabama, says that Pinky is likely an albino. He believes this because of Pinky’s reddish eyes and blood vessels, which show through its pale skin that’s lack of pigment.
As stated by nationalgeographic.com, “Albinism occurs when cells that normally make the pigment melanin, responsible for skin, hair, and eye color, fail to produce it at normal levels, or at all.”
For video footage of the sighting and more photos of Pinky the dolphin, click here.