An exceptionally uncommon white humpback whale was spotted recently near Norway. Welsh maritime engineer Dan Fisher made the startling discovery off the coast of Norway in August. Fisher has
dubbed him Willow the White Whale. Fisher says that in his ten years working at sea, he is never seen anything like it. But one sighting in a decade isn’t bad considering the whale he filmed is only the second known adult white humpback on the planet.
The first is Migaloo, a humpback who’s made several cameos off Australia’s east coast. The whale’s name means “white fella” in Aboriginal, and he is normally spotted as he makes his annual migration to Antarctic waters during the southern spring. Whereas Migaloo is thought to be affected by albinism, a genetic condition that stifles melanin pigmentation, it’s unlikely his Norwegian counterpart is not albino, but leucistic. Leucism can have an effect on pigments other than melanin and it doesn’t result in the pink eyes characteristic of albinism.
The albino whale in Melville’s “Moby Dick” and the creature’s true-life inspiration, Mocha Dick, are not humpbacks, but Mocha Dick is so called since his pale form was first spotted near the island of Mocha, off the coast of Chile, in the early 19th century. He is reputed to have survived near to 100 sea battles with whaling ships, taking down 20 of them before he met his downfall.
The first is Migaloo, a humpback who’s made several cameos off Australia’s east coast. The whale’s name means “white fella” in Aboriginal, and he is normally spotted as he makes his annual migration to Antarctic waters during the southern spring. Whereas Migaloo is thought to be affected by albinism, a genetic condition that stifles melanin pigmentation, it’s unlikely his Norwegian counterpart is not albino, but leucistic. Leucism can have an effect on pigments other than melanin and it doesn’t result in the pink eyes characteristic of albinism.
The albino whale in Melville’s “Moby Dick” and the creature’s true-life inspiration, Mocha Dick, are not humpbacks, but Mocha Dick is so called since his pale form was first spotted near the island of Mocha, off the coast of Chile, in the early 19th century. He is reputed to have survived near to 100 sea battles with whaling ships, taking down 20 of them before he met his downfall.
