How Red Lobster Helped Rescue A Rare Orange Lobster
The popular seafood chain Red Lobster stayed true to its name earlier this week by refusing to serve up a lobster of a different color to their diners. In fact, the Red Lobster location in Hollywood, Florida received quite the surprise recently when they received its shipment of supposedly red lobsters, only to find a bright orange one standing out from the bunch, per a press release from the chain. This uniquely pigmented lobster is easily noticeable, not only to Red Lobster staff, but to predators, which makes this a very rare lobster variety. Because their bright hue makes them more vulnerable in the wild, only about one in 30 million lobsters bear this orange color, according to Myrtle Beach Online.
Indeed, one such orange creature just happened to turn up at this Red Lobster. The staff quickly took notice of the unique crustacean and, rather than tossing it into the pot, decided to call Myrtle Beach's Ripley's Aquarium. The team at Ripley's, which in part works to conserve rare animal species, were more than happy to take the orange lobster to a good home.
The unique orange lobster found a home at Ripley's Aquarium
The orange lobster was dubbed Cheddar, after Red Lobster's signature Cheddar Bay Biscuits. Mario Roque, the manager at the Hollywood Red Lobster, called Cheddar an "ordinary miracle," adding they were "so honored to have been able to save Cheddar and find her a good home," according to PR Newswire. Cheddar plans to live out her life in the Ripley's Aquarium, where guests will even be able to visit her if they purchase tickets for a guided tour of the Ripley's Marine Science Research Center beginning on July 20, according to Myrtle Beach Online.
Remarkably, this is not the first time a restaurant has come to the rescue of one of these rare orange lobsters. Just last year, a similar situation occurred at a Nobu Japanese restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona. According to WAGM TV, Carl Murray, the executive chef, was sorting through his shipment of lobsters when he came across the orange crustacean, which he named Matzo and donated to the local Odysea Aquarium. So thanks to these attentive chefs, at least two of these unique orange lobsters are living the rest of their lives in aquariums far away from predators — and boiling lobster pots.