This elephant seal in California is purple, and not because it purified itself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka.
The seal, which was spotted at Bight Beach in the Año Nuevo State Park, caught attention from onlookers due to its Barney-like hue.
“Ideas ranged from a diet of purple sea urchins to internal bleeding, but we asked our seal experts and discovered the true culprit: Algae!” the Año Nuevo State Park writes in an Instagram post. “Resting on red algae on the beach has given this seal it’s striking appearance, just in time for Summer!”
Much like The Kid in Purple Rain, baby, this seal’s a star.