Three ultra-rare orange lobsters rescued from ShopRites in Long Island and CT

Peaches, Sebastian and Clawdia just managed to claw their way to freedom.

The ultra-rare orange lobsters — each a genetic marvel at one in 30 million — were plucked from ShopRite supermarket seafood tanks in Bay Shore and Wallingford, Connecticut, and returned to the sea thanks to a sharp-eyed Good Samaritan scrolling through social media and a rescue mission spearheaded by Humane Long Island.

The trio was rescued and taken back to the water by the animal advocacy organization after receiving an alert from someone who spotted social media posts about the extraordinary lobsters in the seafood sections of the two grocery stores. Now, Humane Long Island is asking the public for help locating more members of their lobster family.

“This genetic trait is hereditary, so when one orange lobster appears in a shipment, others often turn up in nearby locations,” said John Di Leonardo, anthrozoologist and executive director of Humane Long Island. “That’s why we’re now asking the public to keep an eye out and alert us if they spot any more.”

Peaches, Sebastian and Clawdia had arrived at the ShopRites in early July. Their vibrant, pumpkin-like coloring is a result of a genetic anomaly that occurs in approximately one out of every 30 million lobsters, Di Leonardo said.

The rescue came nearly a year to the day after Humane Long Island coordinated a similar effort involving three other orange lobsters found in Long Island stores.

Scroll down for video of the trio.

“One of them even playfully followed us for a bit before disappearing into the deep,” Di Leonardo said, noting that lobsters can travel more than 100 miles annually in the wild.

“While the chance of finding an orange lobster is incredibly rare, even more rare is seeing one returned to the sea,” Di Leonardo added. “Over 300 million lobsters are trapped and killed every year. Like all aquatic animals, lobsters want to live freely, not in a cramped tank or a boiling pot.”

One-in-30 million odds: Three ultra-rare orange lobsters rescued from ShopRites in Bay Shore, Long Island, and Connecticut. pic.twitter.com/QXOf6ObNMb

— Greater Long Island (@Greater_LI) July 17, 2025

_{Top photo: Humane Long Island Executive Director John Di Leonardo returns rare orange lobsters to the sea (Courtesy of Humane Long Island).}