A Yellow Lobster Surprise Off the Shore of Rye, New Hampshire

It wasn’t the kind of thing most anglers expect when they head out early on a summer morning, but Nicole Feldotto, a 32‑year‑old “lobsterwoman” from Hampton, New Hampshire, certainly didn’t see it coming.

While pulling in a trap near the small town of Rye, she felt a familiar tug and hauled up a lobster that, at first glance, seemed perfectly ordinary. Then she noticed the shell – a bright, buttery yellow that instantly set off alarms in her mind. “I’ve only heard stories about these,” she said, laughing, “and never thought I’d actually see one.”

According to Feldotto, the creature tipped the scales at roughly one and a half pounds, a decent size for a New England lobster. The real kicker, though, was that it was a V‑notch — an egg‑bearing female. Because the lobster was still in its reproductive stage, she and her crew made the decision to gently release it back into the Atlantic, hoping it would continue its genetic legacy.

The rarity of the coloration isn’t just a novelty; it’s a genetic mutation that, as Feldotto puts it, occurs “about one in 30 million” times. No marine‑biology study is cited in the story, so the figure remains a fisherman’s anecdotal estimate, but even the suggestion underscores just how unusual the find was.

Feldotto isn’t a stranger to odd catches. Four years ago she hauled in an orange lobster, another color mutation that became a badge of honor among her local crew. “That was my first ‘big moment,’” she recalled, eyes gleaming. This yellow specimen, however, feels like a sequel – a reminder that the ocean still holds surprises for those willing to chase them.

While the yellow lobster will likely become a tale told over many future barbecues and town gatherings, the real impact is a gentle reminder of the biodiversity that thrives beneath the waves. And for a lobsterwoman who spends countless hours at sea, it’s just another reason to respect the water and its mysteries.