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Super Rare Pink Dolphin Comes Out Of Hiding After 8 Years

<div><p>Most people don't know it, but there is a rare genetic condition in bottlenose dolphins that prevents their usual grey coloring from forming. Instead of grey, these special dolphins look pink!</p><p><strong>They are so rare that only 14 pink dolphins have been documented in the world since 1962.</strong> In 2007, Pinky the rare albino bottlenose dolphin was first spotted splashing around in the Calcasieu River in Louisiana. </p><p>Back then, she was just a little baby Pinky. Now, she's about 7 feet long and searching for the perfect mate!</p><div><figure><a href="http://www.factriver.com/1634/pinky-the-rare-pink-dolphin-spotted-in-calcasieu-lake-louisiana/" target="_blank"><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/Pinky-Pink-dolphin-Calcasieu-Lake.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/Pinky-Pink-dolphin-Calcasieu-Lake_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></a><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite><a href="http://www.factriver.com/1634/pinky-the-rare-pink-dolphin-spotted-in-calcasieu-lake-louisiana/" target="_blank">FactRiver</a></cite></figcaption></figure></div><p>According to <a href="http://research.hudsonalpha.org/Barsh/">Greg Barsh</a>, a scientist at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Alabama, Pinky is most likely an albino because of two telltale signs: reddish eyes and visible blood vessels that show through her skin.</p><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p>He tells <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/09/150909-pinky-albino-bottlenose-dolphin-animals-science/">National Geographic</a> that 'it's rare to see an albino animal in the wold'. Many of them suffer from several different health problems including vision issues. </p><p>The fact that Pinky is thriving really points to how special she is!</p><div><figure><a href="https://www.google.ca/url?sa=i&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=images&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=0ahUKEwj4qt3fqf7SAhWI5IMKHdi5B6cQjB0IBg&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazingpandph.com%2Fextremely-rare%2F&amp;psig=AFQjCNGEw9C2tfvAK1JWD13tPM7Qiy1nVg&amp;ust=1490966314550387" target="_blank"><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/0-221-580x545.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/0-221-580x545_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></a><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite><a href="https://www.google.ca/url?sa=i&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=images&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=0ahUKEwj4qt3fqf7SAhWI5IMKHdi5B6cQjB0IBg&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazingpandph.com%2Fextremely-rare%2F&amp;psig=AFQjCNGEw9C2tfvAK1JWD13tPM7Qiy1nVg&amp;ust=1490966314550387" target="_blank">Amazingpandph</a></cite></figcaption></figure></div><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><div><figure><a href="http://thenextdigit.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/pink-bottlenose-dolphin.jpg" target="_blank"><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/pink-bottlenose-dolphin.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/pink-bottlenose-dolphin_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/pink-bottlenose-dolphin_GH_content_650px.jpg 650w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></a><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite><a href="http://thenextdigit.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/pink-bottlenose-dolphin.jpg" target="_blank">The Next Digit</a></cite></figcaption></figure></div><div><figure><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pinkythedolphin/" target="_blank"><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/pinky-the-pink-dolphin-spotted-again-in-louisiana-and-she-maybe-pregnant-3.jpg" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></a><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pinkythedolphin/" target="_blank">Facebook/Pinky the Dolphin</a></cite></figcaption></figure></div><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><div><figure><a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/meet-pinky-the-rare-pink-dolphin.aspx" target="_blank"><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/Pinky2.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/Pinky2_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/Pinky2_GH_content_650px.jpg 650w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/Pinky2_GH_content_750px.jpg 750w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/Pinky2_GH_content_850px.jpg 850w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/Pinky2_GH_content_950px.jpg 950w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></a><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite><a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/meet-pinky-the-rare-pink-dolphin.aspx" target="_blank">National Geographic</a></cite></figcaption></figure></div><p>As recently as last October, 2016, Pinky was spotted again after 8 years. According to World Animal News, Pinky fans think that she might be pregnant!</p><p>According to Captain Erik Rue, who first spotted her in 2007, Pinky has been getting frisky with a few suitors in the Louisiana lake. </p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/Pinky-Calcasieu-Lake.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/Pinky-Calcasieu-Lake_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite>Captain Erik Rue</cite></figcaption></figure></div><p>"We still see her swimming almost every day in the summertime. We've seen her a lot in the last few weeks. She looks so happy and healthy," Captain Rue tells ABC News.</p><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p>See her for yourself in this incredible video below:</p><div><div><div><amp-youtube height="9" width="16" layout="responsive" data-videoid="vE6_7h1pSsk"></amp-youtube></div></div></div><p>[h/t <a href="http://www.sciencealert.com/louisiana-s-rare-pink-dolphin-appears-almost-unique-amongst-the-species">Science Alert</a> / <a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/meet-pinky-the-rare-pink-dolphin.aspx">National Geographic</a>]</p><p></p></div>

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