A ONE-in-100 million white albino lobster has been donated to an Irish aquarium after it was saved from the chef’s cooking pot by a fisherman in Ireland.
Local fisherman Charlie O’Malley caught the rare crustacean in his nets off the coast of Achill Island in Co. Mayo.
The chance of catching a 'ghost' lobster like the one found in Achill is approximately one-in-100million.
For comparison, the odds of winning the Lotto jackpot in Britain is around one-in-14million.
The unique Irish lobster was spared from the dinner table and kindly donated to The Achill Experience, which contains Mayo’s first aquarium and a museum relating to the history of the region.
“To be honest with you, I didn’t realise the significance of the lobster at the time but I’ve done my homework since,” said Terence Dever, CEO of The Achill Experience.
The lobster now resides at The Achill Experience on Achill Island. Picture: Sean Molloy“These lobsters can be coloured orange, white and even blue in very rare cases.
“A local fisherman was kind enough to donate the lobster to the aquarium and he’s at home already, but we haven’t got a name for him yet.”
Lobsters, like snails and spiders, have blue blood due to the presence of hemocynanin containing copper in their bloodstream – which explains the slight blue hue of the creature.
The crustaceans live up to an estimated 45 to 50 years in the wild and even longer in captivity, so Achill’s white lobster might be round for a few more years yet.
