The crew of a Blue Ocean Whale Watch boat came across a beautiful sight while traveling off the coast of California in Monterey Bay – a baby albino dolphin swimming with its mother. Kate Cummings, a member of the team, was able to film and photograph the incredibly rare marine creature.
It turned out to be a 3-year-old Risso dolphin that was first observed in 2014 as a calf of a few months old. The whale-watching team recognized it right away, and they were delighted to find it in such good shape.
“Albino Risso’s dolphins are extremely unusual in the wild,” Cummings told Live Science. “I believe this is the only known albino Risso’s dolphin in the eastern Pacific.” “Because it’s such a rare sighting, seeing the dolphin felt really amazing.” I first saw this dolphin two years ago; it is now approximately three years old and still lives with its mother.”
Albinism is responsible for the dolphin’s unique colour. A rare disorder in which the cells do not create melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color. Albinism has been seen in over 20 marine species, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, however it is extremely unusual among dolphins.
