White Humpback Whale Spotted

A pure white humpback whale spotted near Norway.

               In 1851, the story of Moby-Dick was written by Herman Melville. Since then, the white whale has become a legend among nearly everyone who has heard of the adventures. But this mythical creature may be more than just legend. In August of 2012, Dan Fisher sighted a rare white humpback whale in the waters of Norway. Experts say this whale is either albino or it could have a condition known as leucism, where pigmentation cells fail to properly develop. Though these ghostly creatures have eluded us in the past, reports of other pure white whales have been surfacing. A white humpback has been seen frequently off the coast of Queensland, Australia; there have been sightings of white orca whales near Alaska and Russia; white right whales have been seen around South Australia; and even an albino dolphin in Louisiana. Fisher, who has worked on ship crews for over 10 years, referred to the experience as being a “once-in-a-lifetime spot” and added: “I saw lots of humpbacks this year, but nothing as spectacular as this one.”