NEED TO KNOW
- A rare albino dolphin has been spotted swimming off the coast of Virginia
- The aquatic mammal was recorded on video by a boat tour company
- The sighting comes a few years after one named Casper was seen in California waters
A rare albino dolphin has been located off the coast of Virginia.
The unique species was spotted in the water by passengers on a tour boat traveling around Chincoteague Island, as seen in a video shared by Snug Harbor Marina on Facebook on Aug. 15.
In the clip filmed by tour guide Captain John Shields, a white bottle nose dolphin is seen swimming up to the surface with its fin poking in and out of the water repeatedly as tourists watch on in amazement from their boat.
“Captain John from Snug Harbor Boat Tours goes on a grand expedition around Chincoteague Island to find the rare albino dolphins!” the company captioned the video.
“Captain John said it was the most amazing sight in the past 50 years!!!” Snug Harbor Boat Tours wrote of the remarkable discovery in the comment section.
The company confirmed that the albino dolphin appeared to be “full-grown,” adding that there have only been “a few sightings in the past hundred years.”
Shields, who has been navigating the waterways around Chincoteague Island for over 50 years, told PEOPLE seeing the dolphin was “one of the most incredible sights I have ever seen.”
In a statement to PEOPLE, the tour company said, “On most of his tours tourists will spot the wild Chincoteague ponies or maybe a few of the many native birds or maybe even stingrays but albino dolphins is one for the history books.”
There are only a handful of albino dolphins reportedly found worldwide.
Albinism in dolphins is caused by a genetic mutation affecting the production of melanin, which creates a lack of pigmentation. These dolphins are typically seen with white skin and pink eyes and are sensitive to sunlight, according to Columbia University.
“Conservation efforts are underway to protect albino dolphins and their habitats, including the establishment of marine protected areas and research programs focused on their behavior and ecology,” the university reports.
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In June 2023, an albino dolphin nicknamed Casper was spotted in Monterey Bay, Calif. The rare white aquatic mammal was first spotted in 2014, and is a Risso’s dolphin, which is a species commonly found just south of the state’s Bay area.
Possibly the same albino dolphin was spotted in the same area again in September 2018, ABC7 News reported.
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