Rare pink dolphins have recently graced the Gulf Coast, delighting observers and sparking curiosity about the reasons behind their unusual hue.
The Houston Chronicle reported two sightings that had onlookers taking video.
Pink Dolphins sightings
On July 12 in Cameron, Louisiana Thurman Gustin of Houston was in for an extraordinary surprise when he spotted a completely pink dolphin. It was rose-colored extending from snout to tail.
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Another sighting took place hundreds of miles away at Roberts Point Park in Port Aransas, Texas, where Britt Thompson of Corpus Christi captured a shot of a bottlenose dolphin with a pink belly playfully following a tugboat on July 15.
Thompson, an amateur photographer and retired English teacher who shares his work on Instagram, expressed his awe, saying, “They’re just amazing to me.” Indeed, pink dolphins are a rare and fascinating sight. And very few ever see them.
Dr. Erin Fougeres from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shed light on the phenomenon, explaining that dolphins’ bellies turn pink as a means to release excess heat when they are active. The color pink on dolphins is particularly seen during the warm summer months in regions like the Texas coast.
