Over the weekend, a group of whale watchers were jolly and happy when they spotted Frosty, a rare white orca, in Monterey Bay, California.
The lucky group included passengers and crew members on a whale-watching boat belonging to Monterey Bay Whale Watch (MBWW), who announced the exciting news with a Facebookpost.
“FROSTY IS IN THE BAY,” the tour agency wrote around 1 p.m. on Sunday. “We are with Frosty right now!!!”
Photographer Evan Brodsky gave a glimpse into the Frosty sighting, sharing a video he captured of the killer whale with its pod toMBWW’s Facebook page. One of the whales who accompanied the “super rare” orca was the animal’s mother, according to the post.
The stunning aerial footage shows the pale orca swimming and spouting in a pod of six, the all-white killer whale standing out against the other five, who possess the species' typical black-and-white coloring.
In anotherclipof the encounter, MBWW shared more information about Frosty and the orca’s pals, including the marine mammals' California Killer Whale Project identifications.
“Amazing sight today with CA216C1 Frosty,” the agency wrote, adding that the rare orca was “traveling and hunting with the CA140Bs.”
Frosty the white orca swimming in California’s Monterey Bay.
According to the agency, the whales had a successful hunt, nabbing an elephant seal and “at least one” California sea lion.
“It was a day our crew and passengers alike will never forget!” the MBWW wrote of the “incredible and rare encounter.”
“He..or she..is beautiful! How lucky for anyone who was there to see this,” one person said, while another joked, “Hope this rare [sighting] means there is lots of snow on the way.”
One user, who seemingly witnessed Frosty’s exciting return to Monterey Bay, wrote, “So special out there today. What a tremendous, amazing gift to be with not 1 but 2 orca pods, including Frosty’s!”
“We are feeling very blessed and grateful,” they added.
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Along with videos and photos of Frosty, the tour agency also shared information on the possible causes of the white whale’s pale complexion on Facebook, suggesting that it is likely the result of leucism or Chediak-Higashi syndrome.
Leucism is the “partial loss of all types of pigmentation, including carotenoids,” according to theNational Park Service. It “causes white coloration, white patches, spots, or splotches on the skin or fur,” like those observed on Frosty.
“This syndrome has been documented in killer whales before, but we are unable to tell with 100% certainty which case applies to Frosty,” MBWW wrote.
source: people.com
