The diversity of the Animal Kingdom never ceases to amaze
Sharing the world with other organic life brings out a sense of wonder and thirst for curiosity that is hardly ever sated.
Whether it’s embarking on a hike through the rainforest or navigating the deep blue ocean, you’re always bound to encounter the exoticism of mother nature at its pristine splendor.
Stories filled with the thrill of newly discovered species add to the exhilarating adventure that this life brings to those who seek it.
Strangely enough, even those not looking get caught in the serendipitous moment of uncovering something bizarrely beautiful.
On a frosty day in November, lobsterman Robinson Russell was baffled by what he saw caught in his trap.
Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw next!
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“I live on a tiny island off the coast of New Brunswick, Canada, called Grand Manan,” Russell told The Dodo. “I have been fishing for over 20 years and it’s the first one I’ve ever seen of that color.”
A translucent, pale blue and purple lobster emerged out of the recent catch and it was definitely a sight to behold. The lobster was appropriately named “Lucky” as it could easily be spotted amongst his lobster brethren.
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Despite appearing white at times, Lucky does not technically have albinism. The rainbow pigmentation is not attributed to this condition whatsoever.
It’s such a unique feature that researchers with the Lobster Institute at the University of Maine have declared that Lucky is estimated to be one in 100 million.
Now that is what you call a lucky find!
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Lucky’s unorthodox cotton candy color is largely attributed to a genetic mutation that causes one or more of the yellow, blue, or red pigments in the shell to be visibly evident.
Lobsters are known to have many different color abnormalities.
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This is due to the expression of different pigments in a lobster shell, says Cynthia Callahan, who manages the Huntsman Marine Science Center.
Even Russel has seen different colored lobsters (blue, yellow, and even orange) come out of the water from time to time. It’s not crazy to think lobsters can have different colored shells.
Lucky, however, is the rarest of the rare.
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Russell was inspired by the rarity of their meeting to have mercy on the unique crustacean. So, he decided to do something to avoid Lucky ending up in someone’s belly for dinner.
They say if you love something, you should let it go.
And so Russell decided to donate Lucky to the Hunstman Marine Aquarium, where Lucky will extend his life even further with the wonderful care of their staff.
“We named it Lucky on the way in, and I posted a few photos of it on Instagram,” Russell said. “I really didn’t want to sell it, so I ended up donating it to the Huntsman [Marine] Aquarium in St. Andrews where it will now live out the rest of its days.”
His act of selflessness has earned him praise all over the web.
It’s kill or be killed out in the wild, but sometimes nature has other plans. This fisherman was fortunate enough to witness such a rare specimen and knew right away how special the lobster would be to him.
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Lucky was downright blessed to meet such a wonderful, compassionate human being in Russell and, as a result, will live the rest of his days in great company.
Be sure to check out how Lucky is doing now in the video below!
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