‘Extremely rare’ all-white killer whale calf dubbed ‘Frosty’ with milky skin due to genetic condition is spotted in pod off California coast
- Frosty is an extremely rare four-year-old killer whale
- A genetic condition has caused its completely white color
- Video of the sighting shows whale watchers gasping in awe
An ‘extremely rare’ orca calf called ‘Frosty’, named for its milky all-white skin, has been spotted in a pod off the coast of California.
Frosty has a rare genetic condition that causes his black spots to be much lighter than those of other killer whales, giving him his distinctive white appearance.
The four-year-old whale was spotted off the coast of Newport Beach, California on Monday.
It’s not clear if Frosty is male or female, but he was last seen a year ago, and the captain of the boat watching the cruise, Dani Fasser, said Fox he was “extremely lucky” when he was able to locate the capsule.
He said: ‘We were looking at some giant fin whales, and suddenly they [a passenger] saw features in the distance that were definitely not a dolphin.’
Video of the encounter shows passengers gasping in “awe” as the whales swim toward the boat and frolic around.
Initial. Two large adults with standard colors appear, blowing puffs of air and fluttering through the water.
Then under water. a striking white back appears, rolling over to reveal Frosty’s unique all-white back and sides.
It is not known what exact condition causes Frosty’s unusual color, but it is possibly thought to be leucism or a syndrome called Chediak-Higashi.
Jessica Roam, education and communications manager at Newport Landing and Davey’s Locker Whale Watching, told Fox29: “Our whale watching boat, the Catallac, was the first to spot the famous orca pod this morning about ten miles off the coast of Newport Beach. one of our morning whale watching cruises.
“Orca sightings are rare along the Southern California coastline, so it was a very special encounter.”
Frosty’s group has been spotted as far north as British Columbia.
Their last reported sighting was in Morro Bay, California, in October 2022.
Orcas are very social animals and will stay in the same group with their mothers for their entire lives.
They establish complex social hierarchies within each group, led by female group members.
Pods typically have two to fifteen members, but sometimes larger groups come together to hunt or mate.