Photos of a pink dolphin have been attracting attention recently, circulating widely on social media. Some are questioning whether the dolphin in the picture is real or simply a product of artificial intelligence.
Social Media Post
A Facebook user shared a photo of a rare pink dolphin, adding the caption “Rare pink dolphin spotted at NC coast” The post has gained significant attention, being shared over a 61,000 times, 25,000 reactions, and receiving over 5,8000 comments.
Moreover, the same image is also distributed on X platform.
However, we discovered that the viral images are not actual photos of a pink dolphin.
Fact Check
We conducted a fact check using the Reverse Image Search feature to identify the source of the aforementioned image. However, we found no credible source. Additionally, we searched for news regarding the discovery of pink dolphins in North Carolina, but found no reports from any credible sources.
Additionally, a representative from The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) confirmed to the Verify website that there have been no recent sightings of pink dolphins in North Carolina (Source).
Dr. Jessada Denduangboripant, a lecturer in the Department of Biology at the Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, has clarified that the viral images in question have been edited, as indicated by its unnatural appearance. While pink dolphins, such as the Amazon River Dolphin, do exist in nature, they typically inhabit fresh water. These species are commonly found in the Amazon Rainforest and the Orinoco River Basin across Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela (Source).
The bottle-nosed dolphin species, as seen in viral pictures, could also be pink due to the genetics of its skin. This makes the color of the blood vessels clearly visible. However, it’s considered a rare case. A pink bottle-nosed dolphin was discovered in Lake Louisiana in 2009 (source).
Meanwhile, the pink dolphins often seen in the Thai Sea belong to the humpback dolphin species. They are frequently spotted near Khanom National Park, Southern Sea Islands, in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. You can read about the pink dolphins in Thailand here.
Additionally, we used the AI Image Detector to test the viral pink dolphin images. The results indicate a high probability that the image was generated with AI.
Summary
The images circulating on social media, purportedly showing a “pink dolphin,” are not authentic. There have been no credible reports from agencies or news outlets regarding a recent discovery of such a creature. It appears that the images in question may have been edited.
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Title:The viral pictures of the “pink dolphin” are NOT real
Written By: Fact Crescendo TeamResult: False
