Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Meet Crush, the rare orange lobster diverted from dinner plate to aquarium by Denver Broncos fans

This photo provided by the Denver Downtown Aquarium shows Crush, a rare orange lobster, sent to the aquarium on Wednesday, July 17, 2024. Crush is named after the Denver Broncos Orange Crush defense from 1976 to 1986. (Meghan Bailey/Denver Downtown Aquarium via AP) This photo provided by the Denver Downtown Aquarium shows Crush, a rare orange lobster, sent to the aquarium on Wednesday, July 17, 2024. Crush is named after the Denver Broncos Orange Crush defense from 1976 to 1986. (Meghan Bailey/Denver Downtown Aquarium via AP)
Share

The Downtown Aquarium in Denver has a new resident -- a rare orange lobster that was rescued from a shipment of crustaceans delivered to a Red Lobster restaurant in Pueblo, Colorado.

A long-term employee who is a dishwasher and head biscuit maker spotted the bright orange lobster while unpacking a shipment last Friday and alerted restaurant managers, aquarium officials said. The staff named it Crush after the Denver Broncos' legendary Orange Crush defense from 1976 to 1986.

"Myself and many of my team are born and raised Denver Broncos fans, so as soon as we saw that orange colour, we knew that Crush would be an excellent representation," said Kendra Kastendieck, the restaurant's general manager. "And we all want our defensive line to be that good again."

When the Pueblo Zoo couldn't take Crush, Kastendieck called the Downtown Aquarium, which she said was interested right away.

Kastendieck packed Crush with ice packs in a plastic foam container and delivered it to the aquarium on Wednesday.

"As soon as they acclimated him to his quarantine tank at the Denver aquarium, he was very active right off the bat and was really exploring his little area," Kastendieck said Thursday.

Staff had set up a tank with a new generation Denver Broncos helmet on top and an older generation one sitting in the tank "so he can actually climb into it and play around it," she said.

Crush will be examined by a veterinarian and after 30 days in quarantine will be placed in the "Lurks" exhibit that houses other cold water North Atlantic Ocean species, aquarium staff said.

"We are thrilled to be able to share this very rare and extraordinary animal with the community and visitors to Colorado," Ryan Herman, general curator at Denver Downtown Aquarium, said in a statement.

Crush was shipped to the Pueblo restaurant from a supplier in Tennessee. It was caught off a coast of Canada, said Kastendieck, but she was unable to confirm which coast.

Genetic mutations can lead to lobsters that are orange, blue and yellow. Downtown Aquarium has had one orange lobster previously.

The Downtown Aquarium has more than 700 species of fish along with a stingray reef and three Sumatran tigers.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Montreal police say a business in the city's Pointe-Saint-Charles neighbourhood was hit with Molotov cocktails two nights in a row.

Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman in northeastern Ontario eight years ago. The former Hedley frontman had pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.

Police have arrested a Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides and investigators say that they believe two of the victims may have been 'randomly targeted.'

New data shows the automated speed enforcement camera on King Edward Avenue, between Bolton Street and St. Patrick Street, issued 6,337 speeding tickets in August, the highest number of tickets issued by Ottawa's 40 photo radar cameras.

Ontario Provincial Police have laid stunt charges against a driver caught speeding 75 km/h over the speed limit on Highway 417 in Ottawa's west end.

A northeastern Ontario jury has started deliberating in Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial, we can now tell you what they weren't allowed to hear.

Local Spotlight

Chantal Kreviazuk is set to return to Winnipeg to mark a major milestone in her illustrious musical career.

From the beaches of Cannes to the bustling streets of New York City, a new film by a trio of Manitoba directors has toured the international film festival circuit to much pomp and circumstance.

A husband and wife have been on the road trip of a lifetime and have decided to stop in Saskatchewan for the winter.

The grave of a previously unknown Canadian soldier has been identified as a man from Hayfield, Man. who fought in the First World War.

A group of classic car enthusiasts donated hundreds of blankets to nursing homes in Nova Scotia.

Moving into the second week of October, the eastern half of Canada can expect some brisker fall air to break down from the north

What does New Westminster's təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.

The last living member of the legendary Vancouver Asahi baseball team, Kaye Kaminishi, died on Saturday, Sept. 28, surrounded by family. He was 102 years old.

New data from Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley shows a surge in supply and drop in demand in the region's historically hot real estate market.