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Rare sighting of “Albino” dolphin awes spectators in Dana Point
July 21st, 2008, 3:13 pm · 12 Comments · posted by Laylan Connelly
A rare sighting of an albino or “pink” dolphin was reported off the coast of Dana Point Sunday, giving spectators aboard a charter boat run by Capt. Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari a treat.
Capt. Dave Anderson said he has only seen the albino dolphin once before during his years at sea, but this is the first time he’s ever been able to capture it on camera.
“We’ve never been able to get close to it until yesterday,” he said. “It got close up to the boat and was riding with us.”
In most cases, common dolphins are a sleek gray color. Anderson thinks this albino dolphin is the same one he saw before, in a group of about 500 common dolphins that swam alongside the boat.
There are about 400,000 common dolphins along the coast here, Anderson said.
“We just never see this, it’s just a rare and unusual sighting,” he said.
His 6-year-old daughter Arielle named the dolphin “Casper.”
Among the passengers were 14 students from around the USA as well as Italy, Sweden, Great Britain, Spain, and Scotland, who were attending a summer course on Spinal Cord Injury Research hosted by the Reeve-Irvine Research Center at the UC Irvine.
Check out this video footage taken by passenger Sheri Lowry.
Not much is known about the albino common dolphin, but Anderson thinks the same genetics that happen with human albinos also occur in the dolphins.
A similar dolphin spotted in Louisiana last year made huge nationwide news, with photos of the pink-eyed, pink-skinned mammal circulated widely on the Internet. Read the story here.
Anderson said this one was with a calf. Also on the trip, the charter boat spotted a blue whale, two fin whales, and a pair of Risso dolphins.
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July 21st, 2008 at 4:12 pm
We have seen this dolphin or another one like it probably 3-4 times in tha last five years in the channel between Dana Point and Palos Verdes . It has always been in a group of at least 75 or more other dolphin. Another one, was similar white, with dark “spots”.
July 21st, 2008 at 4:34 pm
DEPORT THE WHITE DOLPHIN!!!
July 21st, 2008 at 5:33 pm
too cute!
July 21st, 2008 at 6:11 pm
I think Casper is beautiful. What a treat it was for all those who were previleged to see him.
I’m upset that the OCR reporter called Casper a “Freak of Nature” particularly since this dolphin’s genetics were compared to humans who have also had these traits. Perhaps a visit to a thesaurus would have been in order here. Someone needs to expand their vocablulary a lot.
July 21st, 2008 at 6:19 pm
FREAK of nature? haha you’ve got to be kidding me. please rename the title to something a little less abrasive. the dolphin didn’t do anything to you, did it?
July 21st, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Point taken and agreed - no offense meant to the beautiful dolphin. Thanks for the thoughts.
July 21st, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Thank you for changing “Freak” to “Rare.” That’s a perfect description of such a beautiful animal.
July 21st, 2008 at 8:32 pm
thank you laylan
July 21st, 2008 at 9:04 pm
This white dolphin better watch out the brown dolphins may do a swim by.
July 21st, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Hey Laylan, stop the hate and increase the peace…or readers will get “damned sick of the foolishness” if you know what I mean…
July 22nd, 2008 at 9:55 pm
my wife caught some footage, as she was one of the other cams on the boat. she’s uploading a long clip on youtube….
July 23rd, 2008 at 9:15 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qhs_mH9v6pU