An exceptionally rare orange lobster found its way back to the waters off Long Island on Wednesday. This lobster, which might have ended up on someone’s plate, was discovered in a supermarket in northern New York.
On September 15th, shopper Kyle Blancato saved the lobster, humorously named Jean-Clawd Van Damme, from a Tops supermarket near Rochester, where around 10 million others were around.
“Rochester isn’t exactly close to the Atlantic, so he was quite lost,” noted John De Leonardo, executive director of Humane Long Island.
The upstate shoppers kept him in a tank of water until volunteers could transport him to the North Shore of Long Island.
“We gave him a second chance,” Di Leonardo shared. “Every year, around 100 million lobsters meet their end in the U.S., so his survival alone is remarkable.”
Jean-Clawd had struggled with hard claws and was cared for until he was strong enough for release on Wednesday.
This release conveniently happened a day before National Lobster Day, which falls on September 25th.
Di Leonardo reflected, “I thought it might be interesting to leverage this holiday, mostly because it’s a marketing gimmick.” He pointed out that in countries like Switzerland, Norway, and New Zealand, it’s been deemed cruel to keep lobsters alive for a long time before cooking them, as they experience pain during that time.
Reports suggest that rescuers have managed to release eight lobsters back into the ocean over the past two years, with some spending nearly a month in grocery store tanks.
“It’s quite stressful when they tend to fight or even cannibalize each other,” he explained. “The rubber bands they use can cause significant pain as well.”
According to Di Leonardo, the rescued crustaceans usually spend about an hour in the water to ensure their well-being before being released.
“They really have distinct personalities. Some might lift their claws at you while others just swim away,” he added, chuckling slightly. “It’s always a delight to see them in their natural element.”
He even encouraged more stores to consider releasing lobsters during holidays. Previous releases had taken place at various local locations, including Northport Fish & Lobster and Stop and Shop Southampton.
“Honestly, it doesn’t matter if they’re blue, brown, or orange,” Di Leonardo concluded. “They all just want to live.”
