“Rare White Orca ‘Frosty’ Spotted by Whale Watchers in California”

Whales, the largest creatures on Earth, have always been a fascinating sight for humans. So what about a whale of rarities? Such a sight awaited whale watchers in the ocean near California a few days ago. They spotted an all-white baby orca whale near Newport Harbour.

The sighting of the rare whale was reported to the watchers by a tour operator who was on a cruise with tourists. After hearing the news, drone operator Charlie Fitzwilliam and members of Newport Coastal Adventure, a whale-watching organization, headed out to sea. Within a few hours of reaching the area mentioned by the tour operator, a white orca whale caught their eye. Footage of their journey and sighting of the whale has also been released.

The movement of the whale was with the orca herd. It spent a long time near the observer’s boat. This rare whale is named Frosty. Frosty was born in 2019. Researchers discovered that Frosty’s white color is due to a rare genetic trait. Only the top of the whale’s head and scales are black. According to Luke Rendell, a biologist at the University of St Andrews, Frosty is suffering from leucism, a condition in which the body lacks the presence of color.

Generally when affected by albinism, the body of the organism appears white. But he has also confirmed that Frosty is not albinism. However, the disease is rare in orcas. In most cases, it can lead to complex medical conditions. A whale with a similar condition was found in British Columbia in the 1970s. Researchers report that the whale, named Shimo, died at a very young age due to lack of immunity.

But currently Frosty’s health is satisfactory. Along with the herd, it searches for its prey. The important thing is that the other killer whales in the group have taken care of Frosty. Observations made over several years have found that pods of white orca whales travel from Mexico to Canada.

English Summary: Rare white orca wows whale watchers off the coast of California