Extremely Rare Pink Dolphin Gives Birth To Pink Calf

Pink dolphins are considered to be one of the rarest types of dolphins in the world and they are actually nearing extinction. However, one which has received its fair share of fame is Pinky, who was first spotted by Captain Erik Rue around 12 years ago who saw her regularly swimming and mating with other dolphins.

This extremely rare pink dolphin has just been spotted again and it appears that she has given birth to a pink calf. Pinky was spotted in the Calcasieu River in Louisana swimming with her pink baby.

Pink Dolphins

For those who are wondering if Pinky is real, she certainly is. In fact, there's a whole species of dolphin which are pink. Pinky is believed to be a Pink River Dolphin, whose distinct pink coloring comes from a rare genetic mutation which causes the skin pigments to change color. While it certainly is a beautiful mammal, it's also a very rare one.

Pink Dolphin River Amazon

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the river dolphin is an endangered species with the population of the animal decreasing rapidly, faster than they can reproduce. Without proper care and enough successful reproduction, these lovely animals will end up extinct very soon.

Captain Rue described Pinky saying the creature is entirely pink from tip to tail and has reddish eyes. The skin appears smooth, glossy pink and without flaws. To many peoples’ surprise, it does not appear to be drastically affected by the environment or sunlight as might be expected considering the condition of its skin. That said, it does seem to remain below the surface a little more than the others in the pod. Rue says that he feels incredibly fortunate to have seen this incredible mammal and be able to work and live in the area where it frequents

Pinky’s actions have clearly had the desired results though with her small pink Calf swimming next to her. A clip was shared to Pinky’s Facebook page, showing the two pink dolphins swimming in front of a massive boat in the Calcasieu Ship Channel.

This has given conservationists at least a little bit of hope that calves share their mother’s genetic mutation, which would make a huge difference in efforts to increase the population of the rare species. If the calves do indeed share the genetic mutation of it’s mother then it will give the population a fighting chance at coming back from the brink of extinction.

Bridget Boudreaux was lucky enough to spot Pinky and her calf in the river a little while ago, seeing the mother and calf swim and jump in the river. In an interview, she used words such as ‘amazing’ and ‘astonished’, which is definitely a very understandable reaction.