Rare Albino Whale Calves Spotted in South Africa and Australia

There is only one world famous white whale and that’s Moby Dick, but recently two albino southern right whales are giving Herman Melville some competition. Images of two albino southern right whales shot from aerial drones have caught the attention of viewers around the world. 

Although the genetic trait is rare, albino southern right whale calves have been spotted recently on two separate occasions. In one video, drone footage captured by the Western Australian Parks and Wildlife Department shows an albino calf swimming with its mother off the coast of the Point Ann Fitzgerald River National Park.

In another, a drone off the coast of Hermanus near Cape Town, South Africa captures what we believe by the markings to be a different albino southern right whale. Drone pilot Anton Schutte, 42, told The Daily Mail he got a call that the whales were in the bay and rushed over to launch his drone. 

“Naturally, I was ecstatic to see them still there, only about 700m (2,300ft) from the shore,” he told the web site. “Any time that someone gets to be in the presence of these magnificent creatures, it is a truly life changing experience.”

Photo credit: Youtube