Scientists have captured the first images of an adult white orca—or killer whale—in the wild. Iceberg, as he has been affectionately named, was spotted swimming with his pod off the coast of Kamchatka in eastern Russia. Orcas are typically black, with white on their undersides, above each eye, and on each flank. Until now, the only all-white orcas that had been observed were young, and none had ever been recorded surviving into adulthood. Researchers hope that future observation will help them determine whether Iceberg is a true albino or whether some other factor is responsible for his unique lack of pigmentation. DiscussRare White Orca Spotted off Russian Coast
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April 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Scientists have captured the first images of an adult white orca—or killer whale—in the wild. Iceberg, as he has been affectionately named, was spotted swimming with his pod off the coast of Kamchatka in eastern Russia. Orcas are typically black, with white on their undersides, above each eye, and on each flank. Until now, the only all-white orcas that had been observed were young, and none had ever been recorded surviving into adulthood. Researchers hope that future observation will help them determine whether Iceberg is a true albino or whether some other factor is responsible for his unique lack of pigmentation. Discuss