albino whale
© UnknownAn all white adult orca is spotted in the North Pacific.
Russian scientists said Monday they have been the first to spot what they believe is the world's only all-white full-grown male orca whale, in the chilly waters off Russia's Far East coast.

A team of scientists from the Far East Russia Orca Project (FEROP) spotted the whale, which they suspect is an albino, swimming with his pod in the North Pacific, near the Commander Islands.

They say the whale, who they believe is about 16 years old, swims in a pod that includes 12 other whales.

The team has named the unique mammal Iceberg, saying the moniker came to them after watching his two-metre dorsal fin break the ocean's surface.

On Monday, they released a brief video of Iceberg swimming in the ocean.


"In many ways, Iceberg is a symbol of all that is pure, wild and extraordinarily exciting about what is out there in the ocean waiting to be discovered," FEROP co-director Erich Hoyt said in a statement. "The challenge is to keep the ocean healthy so that such surprises are always possible."

The FEROP scientists are studying how whales and dolphins communicate and socialize in the North Pacific as part of an international research project.

In a blog post about the expedition, Hoyt said the team hopes to encounter Iceberg's pod again this summer "and learn more about the phenomenon of white whales, why they occur, what it means and whether Iceberg is a true albino -- perhaps we can catch a glimpse of a pink eye -- or 'just' one of the most beautiful orcas anyone has ever seen."

The scientists are also recommending that the area around the Commander Islands, which is Russia's largest marine reserve, be expanded to form a large network of reserves to protect whale, dolphin and porpoise populations off eastern Russia.

They say overfishing, the noise from increased oil and gas exploration and ship traffic all pose a threat to marine mammals. As noise levels increase, they say, whales lose the ability to communicate over long distances.