When you Think Calico it’s Not Always Cats

Whenever I hear the term ‘Calico’ applied toward an animal I naturally think of cats.  But a very unusual lobster from our area turned up at a Red Lobster in Manassas, Virginia.

A calico lobster was discovered at the Red Lobster in Manassas Virginia and the quick-thinking staff knew they had something special on their hands and saved the crustacean from the cooking pot, according to a story in the unionleader.com.

Freckles Will Leave out the Rest of His Days in Peace

The calico lobster has been nicknamed “Freckles” and will be spending his retirement at the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News, according to the news site.

Chris Crippen, the museum’s senior director tells the Washington Post as reported by the unionleader.com, “We see this as an opportunity to share nature’s anomaly with guests, as well as continue important education about sustainable seafood practices and significant conservation efforts of the American lobster fishery.”

So Many Maine Lobsters!

There are so many lobsters that come from Maine, it is estimated that Freckles is a 1-in-30 million find.

In a typical year, there are more than 3.5 million lobster traps placed in the water off the coast of Maine, according to the Union Leader, and Maine lobstermen (and lobsterwomen) could potentially pull in around 525 million lobsters each year.

I have written about blue lobsters and cotton candy lobsters that have been found but the calico is super rare.  I wouldn’t have the heart to eat something that rare.

I’m glad the employees of the Red Lobster knew they had something special and that Freckles can help educate kids and adults about the beauty of our natural world.

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