Extremely rare orange lobster saved from grocery store

by Adam Barnes | Oct. 1, 2021 | Oct. 01, 2021

Story at a glance

A grocery manager in Canada saved a rare orange lobster from his store’s lobster tank.
“Obviously it stood out. It’s not every day you see a lobster that looks like it’s pre-cooked walking around,” said Lundquist, whose husband manages the store.
“Being picked on and being stuck in a tank seemed like a terrible way to go, so we started thinking about what we could do for it,” Lundquist added.

A grocery manager in Canada saved a rare orange lobster from his store’s lobster tank after the unique crustacean sat in the tank for weeks.

“Obviously it stood out. It’s not every day you see a lobster that looks like it’s pre-cooked walking around,” said Niki Lundquist, whose husband manages the store, according to The Guardian. Lundquist said her husband noticed it was being “picked on” by other lobsters.

“Being picked on and being stuck in a tank seemed like a terrible way to go, so we started thinking about what we could do for it,” Lundquist continued.

The pair initially thought about releasing it into the ocean, but eventually purchased the lobster and delivered it to the Toronto aquarium.

“We recently rescued Pinchy, a very rare orange lobster, from a grocery store where some awesome people reached out and let us know they had this 1 in 30 million creature,” Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

“Pinchy is settling in very well to his new home and is doing brilliantly,” the aquarium added.

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Lundquist said she hopes to visit the lobster again after the crustacean serves a stint in a quarantine tank, the outlet noted.

“I don’t think Pinchy will remember us,” she said. “But we’ll definitely remember Pinchy. I didn’t think I’d ever end up with a soft spot for a lobster.”

Earlier this week, a restaurant in Scottsdale, Ariz., discovered an orange lobster and, recognizing its value, notified the OdySea Aquarium.

“The chance of finding a lobster this color in the wild is one in 30 million, so we are really fortunate to have it in our collection,” said Director of Animal Care at OdySea Aquarium Dave Peranteau in a press release.

“We are grateful to Nobu for recognizing the lobster’s significance and reaching out to us regarding this incredible ambassador for its species,” he continued. “We look forward to having it on display soon for all our visitors to enjoy!”