A photographer captured a rare white killer whale while it was swimming. The rare 'Albina' or leucistic orca is part of a small group of just three white orcas known to have appeared off Japan’s volcanic island, Hokkaido. According to a Daily Mail report, these white orcas stand out from their pods due to their unusual colouring.
The photographer, identified as Noriyuki Hayakawa, shared a series of photos and videos on his Instagram page last year. However, the photos and videos have recently gone viral again on social media. In one of the videos, Hayakawa captioned, "It is believed that the discovery was made during a sightseeing boat tour. I was on the ‘Shiretoko Nature Cruise Evergreen38’. This is the first white orca I've come across after 15 years of photographing orcas off Rausu. Thank you to the Shiretoko tourist boat staff for showing me."
In the video, a pod of whales can be seen jumping out of the water, but one stands out: a white killer whale among the otherwise black-coloured whales.

 

According to the Daily Mail, the white orca is not a "true albino," a condition in which the skin does not produce melanin. Hayakawa told Daily Mail, "My legs were shaking with excitement. It was the first time in my life I'd seen a white orca. I was desperate to get a shot — they swim fast and only surface for a moment."
He further added, "This photo means so much to me. I've spent over a decade photographing orcas, and this is the first white one I've ever seen. I hope as many people as possible get to see it and appreciate how rare and beautiful these animals are," as quoted by the Daily Mail.