TechnologyMuscat, Oman · Asia
Pink Dolphin Spotted Off Oman's Coast – Its Color Remains a Mystery
Beachgoers off Muscat have repeatedly spotted a pink dolphin. Blood vessels showing through the skin may be the cause, but that has not been confirmed.
By Marcel
Automatically translated from German · may contain errors · Read the original
A pink dolphin has been spotted off the coast of Oman. Beachgoers reported several sightings within a week near Qantab Beach in the capital, Muscat.
Footage shows the strikingly colored animal together with a group of darker dolphins of its kind. The reports could not be independently verified.
Blood vessels as a possible explanation
The pink color may not originate from skin pigment, but from blood vessels showing through the skin. When blood flow to the body surface increases so that the animal can release excess heat, the coloring becomes more pronounced.
Whether this also explains the appearance of the dolphin off Oman is unclear. Pigment disorders are another possible cause.
Pink coloring is known, for example, in the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin. The waters off Oman, however, are home to the Indian Ocean humpback dolphin. According to the International Whaling Commission (IWC), this species generally stays gray throughout its entire life.