For two years, a rare albino bottle-neck dolphin with a bright pink skin has been the subject of much debate between marine biologists trying to study this rare creature and the boaters who travel the crowded fishing lane of the coast of Louisiana.

Recently sited again in May of 2009, this rosy mammal was first discovered in June 2007, and has been spotted several times by different fisherman and biologists, usually travelling with a pack of grey dolphins.

From the Associated Press:

“I hope more people will report sightings and give officials as much detail as possible. But they should stay at least 50 yards away and limit themselves to a half-hour of watching to keep the animals from getting too comfortable with people and boats,”  Mandy Tumlin said, a biologist from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

Finding a home in the channels near Lake Charles, the believed male dolphin is the 14^th reported albino in the world and the third to have existed in the Gulf of Mexico.

Not to be confused with the freshwater Boto or Amazon River Dolphins or the Humpback dolphin called the Indo-Pacific Humpback dolphin found mostly in Southeast Asia, this pink dolphin is a rare albino that is just amazing to look at in its “pinkness”.

"It was absolutely, stunningly pink," said Erik Rue, owner of Calcasieu Charter Service and the first ot spot the pink mammal. "I had never seen anything like it. It's the same color throughout the whole body. It looks like it just came out of a paint booth."

While albinos are very rare, pink albinos are almost never heard of, and the one in the Gulf of Mexico might be the only one to exist. This beautiful creature is getting a lot of attention by tourists and scientists wanting to study the dolphin.

This is starting to cause problems as sightseers are out in boat lanes looking for a chance of glimpsing this unique creature. Environmental groups and animal protection agencies are worried for not only the pink one’s safety, but the safety of other dolphins and marine life in the area.

As summer approaches and more boats fill this river channel, there is a good chance that many people will get a chance to glimpse the pink dolphin. If you do see it, please do not approach or follow too long behind.

Our oceans are slowly dying already, so let’s not lose a chance to see this majestic creature live a happy and full life.