In his four-decade career as a lobster fisherman, Robert Wagner encountered a unique discovery: a lobster with distinct half-blue and half-orange coloring, divided straight down the middle from head to tail. Wagner, astonished by this sight, named the lobster Oscar and felt fortunate to have come across such a remarkable creature.
This extraordinary lobster was found in one of the final traps pulled from the waters near Blue Rocks on Nova Scotia’s South Shore several months ago. Wagner’s daughter suggested reaching out to Dalhousie University to see if they would be interested in taking Oscar.
Nadia Stewart, a representative from Dalhousie’s Beaty Centre for Marine Biodiversity, expressed gratitude for the offer, stating that such lobsters with standout colors are often quickly targeted by predators in the wild. She explained that Oscar’s unique appearance, a result of a genetic mutation occurring in around one out of every 50 million lobsters, was quite rare.
After caring for Oscar for a month, Wagner and his family arranged for the lobster to be relocated to Halifax. Oscar, housed in a crate near Wagner’s vessel, was fed every other day. A special permit was required to transport Oscar to his new environment.
Stewart reported that Oscar has adapted well to his new surroundings, surprising staff by shedding his shell recently. The old blue-and-orange shell was put on display, and Oscar was given time to recover from the molting process. Once his new shell hardens, which typically takes 14 to 30 days, he will resume public viewing with his distinctive blue and orange coloring.
Wagner expressed contentment with the decision to donate Oscar, stating, “We’re just grateful that it got in the right hands and hope [Oscar] has a good life.”