When a grocery store on Long Island unpacked their usual shipment of lobsters earlier this summer, something immediately stopped the workers in their tracks.
Right there in the tank, surrounded by the typical greenish-brown shells, was a lobster the color of a sunset — bright orange and impossible to miss.
The workers had never seen anything like her before, and for good reason: orange lobsters are extraordinarily rare.
Only one in roughly 30 million lobsters naturally has that vivid coloring — making them even less common than the already-famous blue lobsters. Their striking hue comes from a one-in-a-million genetic mutation.
Word of the unusual crustacean quickly reached Humane Long Island, and the moment they saw photos of her, they knew she needed help. A lobster this rare didn’t belong in a grocery store tank. Thankfully, the store agreed and allowed the group to rescue her.
The rescuers named her Clementine, inspired by her brilliant citrusy shell.
Before returning Clementine to the ocean, they wanted to make sure she was strong enough to survive. A veterinarian advised placing her in a cold saltwater tank to help her gradually readjust to natural conditions. After some time in her temporary sanctuary, Clementine was finally ready.
Humane Long Island carried her to the beach, lowered her gently into the surf and watched as she kicked her legs and swam off into the open water.
“It was nice meeting you,” one rescuer said in a video. “Good luck, buddy!”
The organization used Clementine’s story to remind people just how remarkable lobsters truly are — not just the colorful ones. When left undisturbed, lobsters can live well over 100 years, and they’re far more perceptive and capable than most people realize.
“Lobsters are sensitive, intelligent animals who can travel more than 100 miles a year,” Humane Long Island wrote.
Thanks to a few grocery store workers who chose compassion over convenience — and to the rescuers who carried her home — Clementine now has a chance to live out her long, natural life in the sea, right where she belongs.
To support other animals like this lobster, you can make a donation to Long Island Humane here.
