Rare Orange Lobsters Cheat Fate After Communal Rescue On LI

BAY SHORE, NY— A rare, 1 in 30 million orange lobster was rescued from a Long Island supermarket recently, narrowly escaping a July 4 barbecuing or seafood bake, an animal advocacy organization said.

A lobster named Peaches was rescued from a Bay Shore ShopRite in early July and was returned to the sea by animal advocacy organization Humane Long Island after a Good Samaritan spotted social media posts about the "extraordinary" lobster, said John Di Leonardo, anthrozoologist and executive director of HLI.

At the same time Peaches escaped a grim fate, two other orange lobsters named Sebastian and Clawdia were saved in the nick of time from ShopRites in Wallingford, CT, and another one on Long Island.

Now, Humane Long Island is asking the public for help locating more extended family members.

"The genetic anomaly that results in a striking orange complexion is extremely rare, only 1-in-30-million, but it is hereditary, so when one is spotted in a local store, other members of their family often appear at other locations," Di Leonardo said.

The lobsters, which all arrived at the stores in a shipment of traditional brown lobsters around July 4, were rescued almost to the day that three other orange lobsters were rescued and released to the wild from stores on Long Island last year.

Di Leonardo told Patch that it's not just a coincidence, but a matter of quantity—increased lobster sales mean an increased chance of finding a rare one.

"Seafood bakes, along with barbecues, are a popular activity for July 4 celebrations, which is why we may see an uptick of rare lobsters around this time, Di Leonardo told Patch. "There's an uptick of lobsters being sold in general."

But Di Leonardo says eating the lobsters isn't worth the thrill of finding the unicorn of lobsters.

"It has never been easier to celebrate liberty and justice for all with plant-based eats," he said. "This past 4th of July, Humane Long Island actually distributed plant-based hot dogs with Assembly Member Harvey Epstein in New York City and maybe next year we'll distribute vegan lobster rolls as well."

The spirit of July 4 was honored in its purest form when, just hours after their rescues, Peaches, Sebastian and Clawdia swam into the Long Island Sound, gaining their freedom and independence.

Di Leonardo said the lobsters will travel "as far as 100 miles or more each year."

"While the chance of finding an orange lobster is 1 in 30 million, rarer still is for one of them to be returned to the sea. Over 300 million lobsters are trapped and killed annually," he said. "Like all aquatic animals, lobsters want to live free rather than be confined to a cramped aquarium or a boiling pot and Humane Long Island reminds the public that they can save two hundred animals like Sebastian, Clawdia, and Peaches annually by simply leaving animals off their plate."