Whale watchers in California got a real treat last Friday, when the Dana Wharf Whale Watch crew caught sight of a super-rare pure white dolphin in the sea off Laguna Beach.
The striking, glossy white Risso's dolphin has been spotted several times from San Diego to Catalina since 2018. Nicknamed Caspar in the past because it is white like a ghost, there is speculation that this dolphin is not albino (as has previously been suggested), but leucistic. This involves only a partial, not a full, lack of pigmentation.
On Friday, the pale creature was spotted again for the first time since last July, swimming in a pod with about 40 other dolphins, around 3 miles away from the coast. Dolphins are social creatures, and there was no discrimination in the pod - the white dolphin frolicked merrily with others, part of the pack, and not ostracised for its different appearance.
It’s like a snowy white color. Immediately we saw the white, I was like ‘Wow, what is that?” - Newport Coastal Adventure captain Ryan Lawler
Risso's dolphins are less common than bottlenose or common dolphins in California, so a sighting of any Risso's dolphin in this area is a highlight of a whale watching trip, but seeing a white one is so rare as to be a real coup for the whale-watchers on Friday. White dolphins tend to be seen only a couple of times a year worldwide.
Usually, of course, Risso's dolphins (which are sometimes mistaken for orcas because of their dorsal fin) are grey. The one spotted last Friday is almost pure white. However, there are some darker accents, which is how the experts knew that this dolphin is not a true albino. They also do not believe the dolphin has red eyes, which would be the other classic indicator.
Caspar is not the only unique dolphin to have been spotted off the same coast. There's also a famous spotted dolphin, named Patches, which has splodges of pink and white and black on its skin - quite a striking design to spot in the water.
Patches has been spotted in the past few years not only at Laguna Beach but also in San Diego and Monterey. Catching sight of this unusual dolphin is seen as a real win for dolphin lovers and whale-watchers, as designs like this are so rare on the usually-grey mammals. And white ones are rarer still.
The white dolphin was last seen last July, and by a huge coincidence, a Los Angeles photographer named Andre Esteves got to see it both times. He described the experience as "awesome". Which just about sums it up.