||| FROM NEWSWEEK |||
A “beautiful” and “extremely rare” light-colored orca has been spotted in waters off the coast of Japan.
As seen in images captured by a local sightseeing company, the male orca lacks the distinctive black markings that are characteristic of killer whales. Instead, the orca appears pale, with a whitish-grey color.
It is not clear why the orca has this pale coloration, Mai, a spokesperson from the Gojiraiwa-Kanko sightseeing company that spotted the whale, told Newsweek.
One explanation is that the orca has leucism—a condition affecting various animals characterized by an overall pale color or areas of reduced coloration.
This condition is caused by a genetic mutation that inhibits the production of the pigment melanin, as well as others, leading to white, pale, or patchy coloration in feathers, hair, skin, or scales, although it usually doesn’t affect the eyes.
“We are so glad [to see the whale] because a white orca is really rare. It’s amazing!” Mai told Newsweek.
The crew of a sightseeing boat from Gojiraiwa-Kanko first spotted the white orca on May 13 at around 7 a.m. local time in the Nemuro Strait, around 2-3 miles offshore from the port of Rausu on the Shiretoko Peninsula.
The peninsula is located in the easternmost part of Hokkaidō—Japan’s second-largest island and northernmost region. Gojiraiwa-Kanko operates sightseeing tours in the waters around the peninsula, with the region near Rausu being one of the leading whale-watching spots in Hokkaidō.
The white orca was spotted among a pod of around 13-15 other individuals, the rest of which appeared to be normal in color.
