A team of Russian scientists say they will embark on a quest next
week to observe the only all-white, adult killer whale ever spotted — a
majestic and elusive bull they have named Iceberg.
The researchers from the universities of Moscow and St. Petersburg
first spotted the orca’s towering, six-foot (two-meter) dorsal fin break
the surface near the Commander Islands in the North Pacific in August
2010.
Living in a pod with 12 family members, Iceberg was deemed to be at
least 16 years old, given the size of his dorsal fin, said Erich Hoyt
“This is the first time we have ever seen an all-white, mature male
orca,” Hoyt told AFP. “It is a breathtakingly beautiful animal.”
The scientists decided to hold back on releasing photographs of
Iceberg until they were able to study him further, “but we have been
looking for him ever since,” said Hoyt.
Orcas can travel thousands of miles (kilometers).
The scientists would like to establish whether Iceberg is albino a
genetic condition that leaves animals unable to produce melanin, a dark
pigment of skin, hair and the eye’s retina and iris. Many albino animals
never grow into adulthood. Their visibility is a disadvantage in the
hunt for food and protection against predators.
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