Tech entrepreneur Lars-Johan Larsson shared a photo of a blue lobster caught by a fisherman.
A fisherman caught this lobster off the coast of Maine, Portland. Immediately afterwards, this rare lobster was returned to the water.
Since the lobster does not normally have a blue shell, it is obvious that this is the result of a genetic mutation.
According to the Toronto Sun, this is because lobster produces more protein than others, which is why it has a special color.
Lobsters like this are really rare. As the BBC reports, fishermen believe that catching a blue lobster brings good luck.
Since the American lobster is mostly greenish-brown in color, a blue lobster would look amazing to local fishermen, says Charlie Ellis.
Charlie is a researcher at the UK’s National Lobster Hatchery, Cornwall.
There are even rarer lobsters than blue lobsters. These are yellow, orange and crystal lobsters.
Ten years ago, fishermen caught a crystal lobster in Dorset. Rob Bayer, executive director of the University of Maine’s Lobster Institute, says blue lobsters are really beautiful even though they are difficult to catch.
People around the world have started returning blue lobsters to the water after catching them.
Austin Hopley is chef at The Hare, Rochdale, UK. He also decided to give the blue lobster a new chance at life. He even gave it a name, Larry, and then gave it to Sea Life, Manchester, where the lobster still lives today. This is according to BBC News.
Austin was very concerned about the lobster and the only thing that was right according to him was to give the lobster a new chance at life.
After a long time of thinking and trying to contact people, he managed to get in touch with Merlin Entertainments who owns Sea Life. They accepted it and since then the blue lobster has lived there.
Austin soon removed all lobster from the menu at his restaurant.
Brendan Malone from Sea Life said it was really worth saving this amazing creature. By the way, Brendan is a curator and marine expert.
Source: Upworthy