An extremely rare albino dolphin has been spotted in Africa, perhaps for the first time in history. It has been reported live science.
The newlyweds spotted an all-white baby dolphin on their wedding day from a whale watching boat on April 4. Scientists have confirmed that this is the first recorded observation of albino bottlenose dolphins in Africa.
The calf was in a herd of about 200 dolphins. His age, according to scientists, is about a month, and his body length is one meter.
Albinism is a genetic disease in which animals do not produce the pigment melanin that gives color to their skin, fur, feathers and eyes. As a result, albino animals are white in color and have pink eyes. For many animals, albinism can greatly reduce their chances of survival, so albinism remains very rare in the wild and is more common in zoos. This is because white animals can be seen by predators. But dolphins have few natural enemies – mostly killer whales and large sharks, whose success depends little on the color of the prey. Therefore, a pup found on the African coast has a good chance of survival.
This isn’t the first time an albino dolphin has been discovered. In June 2017, a 3-year-old albino dolphin (Grampus griseus) was spotted swimming with its mother in California’s Monterey Bay.