Another Orange Lobster Rescued by Red Lobster® and Ripley’s Aquariums – What Are the Odds?

Following the rescue of Cheddar the Orange Lobster from a Hollywood, FL, Red Lobster restaurant, another vibrant crustacean has been saved and research has begun as to why this is occurring

Gatlinburg, TN (August 3, 2022) – Earlier this month, internet-beloved orange lobster, Cheddar, was rescued from a Red Lobster® restaurant in Hollywood, Florida, by Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach. Orange lobsters like Cheddar are said to be extremely rare – one-in-30-million – so, what are the chances that this would happen again just weeks later? Surprisingly, the odds are in our favor, as Biscuit – another orange lobster also named after the iconic Cheddar Bay Biscuits® – was rescued on Monday from a Red Lobster in Meridian, Mississippi.

This time, a team from Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies came to the rescue. Between Biscuit, Cheddar, and Pinchy (an orange lobster rescued from a grocery store by Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada), all three Ripley’s Aquariums locations have saved an orange lobster in the last year. With the statistic “one-in-30-million” starting to raise eyebrows, Ripley’s Aquariums is setting out to study these animals and better understand this anomaly.

“Orange lobsters are uncommon but perhaps not as rare as we first thought,” said Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies Director of Husbandry, Jared Durrett. “Lobsters obtain their color through the pigments they ingest in their diet. If these orange lobsters are being harvested from the same region, perhaps their localized diet contains a pigment that, when paired with the lobster’s genetics, creates the orange coloration we are seeing.”

Red Lobster has confirmed that Biscuit is from the same fishing area as Cheddar, supporting the theory that this uptick in unusual coloration has to do with what the lobsters are eating.

“We plan to dive deeper into this and study the reasons why this abnormality is occurring more often. Our partnership with Red Lobster will allow us to capture data from fishermen, which typically is not easy to come by due to confidentiality,” continued Durrett.

“As one of the largest restaurant companies in the world, we see a lot of lobsters. And, on the rare occasion we receive a lobster like Biscuit, we have to ask why? We are hearing from our fishermen in the area where both Cheddar and Biscuit were caught that they are seeing a lot of orange lobsters this time of year. This seems to indicate the coloring is coming from a different food source. We’re excited to support Ripley’s research into this and learn more about our changing lobster populations,” said Nicole Bott, Senior Director, Communications at Red Lobster.

Biscuit is currently being acclimated to her new home but will go on exhibit at Ripley’s Aquarium later this year.

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MEDIA CONTACTS

Sabrina Sieck
Ripley Entertainment Inc.
sieck@ripleys.com

Nicole Bott
Red Lobster
mediacontact@redlobster.com

About Ripley Entertainment
Built on the foundation of a daily newspaper cartoon in 1918 — still in print today — Ripley Entertainment has grown to be a world leader in family entertainment, expanding to include more than 100 attractions in 10 countries around the world. Along with Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditoriums, Guinness World Records Attractions, Aquariums, WaxWorks, traveling shows, and miniature golf, the world of Ripley’s continues to grow through exciting new experiences, content, and books for all ages. Learn more about Ripley’s Believe It or Not! by visiting Ripleys.com and following on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

About Red Lobster Seafood Co.
Red Lobster is the world’s largest and most-loved seafood restaurant company, headquartered in Orlando, Fla. With a proud heritage and an even brighter future, Red Lobster is focused on serving the highest quality, freshly prepared seafood that is traceable, sustainable and responsibly-sourced. To learn more about Red Lobster’s sourcing standards and where the seafood we serve comes from, please visit www.redlobster.com/seafoodwithstandards. Red Lobster is also proud to be an employer of choice, including being named to Forbes magazine’s 2022 lists of America’s Best Large Employers and Best Employers for Diversity. To learn more about Red Lobster, including locations and menu options, please visit http://www.redlobster.com or find us on  Facebook,   Twitter, Instagram or TikTok.