THIS is the amazing moment an ultra-rare, all-white albino humpback whale spurts out of the ocean.
The incredible drone footage shows the real-life Moby Dick playfully breaking the water’s surface along the east coast of Australia.
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A white albino whale bounding out the waterCredit: Caters News Agency
The albino humpback majestically swimmingCredit: Caters News Agency
Isabella Dobozy spotted the incredibly rare mammal and captured the moment on her drone.
Albino – orr truly hypopigmented – whales are extremely rare.
Scientists say the unusual appearance could be explained by a genetic condition which have likely caused a loss of colour and resulted in the creature’s milky complexion.
For humpbacks, the chance of albinism has been estimated at around 1 in 40,000.
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Isabella said: “What an exciting afternoon of sighting one of the rarest animals on the planet.
“The fact that I was able to capture the whale breaching the water was truly an incredible experience. What a day!”
Viewers loved the stunning sight.
One person commented: “Oh Wow Issy, so incredibly special.” Another added: “Incredible and a privilege for you to see Issy!!!! Wow.”
It comes just months after a white killer whale was spotted off the coast of Japan‘s volcanic island Hokkaido.
Footage shows the majestic creature can be seen swimming in a pod of at least five ordinary orcas.
It repeatedly swoops up out of the water before crashing back down into the ocean.
And the ghostly appearance means it really stands out amongst its pals.
Patches of colour forming the typical orca patterning can still be made out, but the skin that is usually a glossy black is instead virtually white.
Meanwhile, last year an extremely rare white killer was spottted off Newport Beach in California, US.
The Crew of the Catallac, a whale-watching vessel operated by Davey’s Locker and Newport Landing, captured the once-in-a-lifetime interaction nine miles offshore.
The incredible footage showed the ghostly whale swimming with a pod of roughly seven orcas and chewing on an unknown animal.
The crew said that killer whale sightings are rare and they were thrilled about the “special encounter” with the four-year-old calf.
Captain Dani Fasser said: “We got extremely lucky, and were able to locate a pod of at least five to seven orcas, one of which was a four-year-old calf named Frosty, after its milky-white appearance.
“The passengers watched in awe as the killer whales cruised right underneath the boat!
“The orcas were feeding on a beach-ball sized chunk of an unknown animal – likely a dolphin or small whale, and were passing it back and forth feeding together.
What are albino whales?
While majestic to observe, albino whales are incredibly rare.
Although easy to spot if swimming with the rest of a pod, the chances of spotting one are exceptionally slim.
Their distinctive white colour is what sets them apart from the rest of their species.
Erich Hoyt, a research fellow at Whale and Dolphin Conservation in the UK, previously told Sky News that “fewer than 1 in 10,000 humpback individuals” are likely to be affected by this.
“Sightings of killer whales are few and far between along the southern California coastline, so it was a very special encounter.”
The orca, which resembles the white beast from Herman Melville’s 1851 novel, Moby Dick, could be one of only ten ever recorded in history.
The animal may be seen diving and emerging again, with its body colour standing out sharply against that of its companions.
Jessica Roame, education manager with Davey’s Locker & Newport Landing, said: “It is suspected that this orca may have a rare genetic disease called leucism, a condition that results in partial loss of pigmentation.
“This causes white, pale, or patchy colouration of skin, hair, feathers, or scales, but not the eyes.
“It’s extremely rare – information I’ve read suggests that scientists have documented only about 10 white orcas recorded in history.
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“Because there are so few white killer whales, there isn’t a lot of information known about their specific genetic condition.”
The genetic condition also gives the orca a glowing mutation which makes it easier to spot underwater.
The whale was spotted off the east coast of AustraliaCredit: Caters News Agency