IN & AROUND MARINE LIFE
52 AN ANCIENT DISCOVERY
ATLANTIS, THE MAGAZINE
Unearthing more about albino alligator brothers Blue and Bruce, the latest additions to the fantastic marine life at Atlantis, The Palm
One of the albino alligators
M
illennia have passed since the high culture of Atlantis, the legendary lost city, sank into the ocean. Since then, the myth has captivated imaginations and dreams the world over and at Atlantis, The Palm the parabolic creatures and discoveries of this revered utopian society have been unearthed for all to see. On a bid to continuously uncover the story behind one of history’s greatest mysteries, the team at The Lost Chambers Aquarium recently discovered another fascinating creature to add to the legend; the rare albino alligator. With milky-white skin and vivid pink eyes, the Atlantean version of this discovery states that the creatures were found lurking far below the surface, in a cave eternally-shielded from the dazzling rays of the sun. Legend also has it that their diet consisted of minerals; hence their stone-like, marble appearance. Excited to meet the new additions in person and find out more about these unfamiliar animals residing in the abyss at the heart of The Lost Chambers Aquarium, we spoke to Nicholas Derbyshire, the man in charge of the newcomers.
Having first appeared on earth around 37million years ago, alligators have since evolved to near perfection which is perhaps one of the reasons why these new albino-trait alligators are so rare. Nicholas explains: “It’s a really rare occurrence, this albino mutation, so much that there’s none in the entire Middle East. They are so unique, so rare, that even people visiting from the States or South Africa where alligators are common have never seen an albino one. These guys really are capturing people’s imagination.” In fact, it’s believed that only one in every 100,000 alligators carries the albino gene. In the wild, being that chosen one spells disaster. “Very soon after they’re born, they either get sunburned because they don’t have the melanin pigment to protect them from UV rays or they are spotted by predators because they’re white – which doesn’t work well as a camouflage,” says Nicholas. At Atlantis, The Palm, the two-year-olds have nothing of the sort to worry about. Their living area has been specially designed for the
brothers from Florida, who currently measure about a metre each in length. “We’ve heated the water – it’s just like a little Jacuzzi in there – and they have a rock island with little heat pads of varying temperatures on it so they can move around and get whatever temperature they want,” adds Nicholas. Watching them swim around in their own little alligator cavern, the pair are almost cute, interacting playfully and each having their own distinct personalities. Speaking with Nicholas, it’s clear the trainer already knows his new arrivals well: “Bruce is the dominant one, he’s a little bit bigger and will do things like playfully dip Blue under the water. They are brothers so they romp around together, pushing and play-biting.” Barely able to survive in the wild, the team at Atlantis, The Palm hope that by getting to know Blue and Bruce they can find out a lot more about these animals and help to conserve this critically endangered species. Visit the alligators at The Lost Chambers.