Rare Lobster Discovered in the Lobster Capital of the World
New Brunswick, famously titled the ‘Lobster Capital of the World’, has recently rehomed an extremely rare orange lobster called Pinchy. The colourful crustacean was discovered amongst a seafood order at a supermarket in Fredericton, and has since been adopted by the Huntsman Marine Science Centre in Saint Andrews after becoming a local celebrity.
Pinchy is one in a million of lobsters with the rare orange pigment and had been hiding in the Fredericton Sobeys lobster tank since March 2015. After being spotted by the store manager for being a little ‘off-colour’, Pinchy was saved from landing on an unexpected punter’s plate and transported to the Science Centre.
Following his departure, Pinchy’s former Sobeys tank has been turned into a shrine, complete with balloons, ‘We Love Pinchy’ signs and children’s drawings of the lobster. The CBC New Brunswick Facebook page even features a dedicated video to Pinchy, with a special appearance from a Huntsman Marine Science Centre mascot who was ready with a comforting hug for the Sobeys team as they bid farewell to their beloved orange lobster.
While he will no longer be surrounded by his shelled friends, Pinchy will still stand out from the crowd in his specifically-designed tank with water fed directly from the Bay of Fundy. In addition to being Pinchy’s ideal marine environment, the Bay of Fundy stretches between the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, occupying over 870 miles of tide-sculpted coasts. Renowned for having the highest tides in the world, rising up to 58ft twice a day, the Bay of Fundy also offers a range of activities such as hiking trails, kayaking experiences and whale watching.
Saint Andrews is renowned for being one of the oldest and loveliest areas in the Maritimes; with a treasure trove of picturesque architecture, rich marine life and breath-taking scenery, Saint Andrews offers the perfect balance between a modern seaside resort and turn-of-the-century charm.
While Saint Andrews’ reputation for its extraordinary marine life is growing, the Province itself is also famous for other special qualities; the Fundy Trail runs through two designated UNESCO sites, the Fundy Biosphere Reserve and the Stonehammer UNESCO Global Geopark, which host an array of unique geological formations, as well as terrestrial and marine ecosystems, which cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
For outdoor lovers, Fundy National Park offers canoeing, kayaking, golf, tennis and lawn bowls facilities, as well as 120 kilometres of walking and hiking trails past valleys, waterfalls and crystal-clear streams. For those seeking a bit more action, the Fundy Trail allows explorers to hike or cycle through its natural paths, leading to stunning beaches, cascading waterfalls and the 820ft high Precambrian rocks.
The Province is also home to a wide variety of other wildlife including Atlantic puffins, great blue herons, bears and rare butterflies. New Brunswick is famous for its whale watching tours; led by whale experts, visitors can witness Finback, Humpback and Minke whale, and possibly even the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale.
While the Sobeys store will miss Pinchy, he is a welcome addition to The Huntsman; the Centre will be open for one week in March from 5th to 13th, and then throughout summer from mid-May to mid-October daily between 10am and 5pm, so that tourists and locals can visit Pinchy in his new home and share their love for an extraordinarily orange friend.
