Rare Albino Dolphin Calf Seen Off-Coast Africa

After spotting an extremely rare albino dolphin swimming off South Africa, a tour guide was left speechless.

During a cruise to celebrate his son's wedding, Raggy Charters' owner and tour guide Lloyd Edwards and his guests watched a pod of about 200 Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins swim by in Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape.

Edwards noticed a flash of white within the large pod as he was observing it.

Albino Dolphin Calf

He realized it was an albino dolphin calf that is about a month old, he realized after giving it a closer look.

Edwards, who has spent 31 years working on marine cruises in Algoa Bay, said that after working in his field for so long, one might sometimes assume they have seen it all before an albino dolphin calf unexpectedly appears. According to Edwards, he initially felt skepticism, as if it couldn't possibly be.

A genetic disorder called albinism results in a total or partial lack of melanin in the skin. Animals with albinism appear to be entirely white.

It's an extremely uncommon condition that gives animals in the wild an unusual appearance.

Treehugger lists 21 animals that are documented to have albinism. This includes squirrels, hedgehogs, raccoons, alligators, monkeys, turtles, zebras, and others.

Edwards claimed that while they had previously observed a few pink and semi-white dolphins, nothing like this had ever been observed.

Leucism vs. Albinism

Edwards claimed that at first, he believed the dolphin to be albino rather than leucistic.

Leucism is distinct from albinism. This genetic mutation results in a partial loss of skin pigmentation, resulting in white or sometimes pale skin tones.

According to Earth.com, leucism has also been observed in whales and many other cetaceans, as well as in ravens, eagles, deer, mice, snakes, bats, and even sharks and skates. However, because the exoskeletons of invertebrates express pigmentation in different ways than the epidermis, scales, hair, and feathers of vertebrates, they do not exhibit leucism.

The skin tone of an albino animal is typically much paler and lighter. Although Edwards claimed a DNA test is the only way to know "for sure," the eyes' color is the best way to distinguish between albinism and leucism.

It was highly likely that the dolphin was an albino due to its startlingly white appearance, though it's difficult to be certain without first seeing its eyes up close.

Although the dolphin's eyes aren't visible in Edwards' photos, albino animals are frequently very sensitive to light, making it highly possible for the dolphin to have its eyes shut for this reason.

Dolphins Off-Coast Africa

According to Edwards' Facebook post, albino dolphins have never been spotted in African waters before.

In reality, since the 1950s, very few albino dolphins have ever been seen.

According to Edwards, albinos are often more noticeable than other students at school, which makes them an easy target for hungry predators. He said that the calf was always swimming in the middle of the school, and its mother and the other adults were watching out for it.

Additionally, there is a growing concern that aquariums may target albinos for capture.

Raggy Charters is currently holding a name-the-albino-calf contest. The winner will get a free cruise after a name is chosen, Newsweek reports.