A Rare Killer Whale that Was Born a Different Color
Meet Frosty, the white killer whale. Frosty is thought to be about 4 years old and lives off the coast of California. This footage from @monterey_bay_whale_watch and Evan Brodsky shows Frosty with its pod, hunting and sharing food.
Researchers aren’t positive why Frosty is white, but they say it likely has a condition called leucism, which causes an animal to lose pigmentation in its skin or fur. While albinism is a genetic mutation that causes a complete lack of pigment, leucism is only a partial loss of pigment in various amounts. The other condition that could cause Frosty’s coloration is Chediak-Higashi syndrome, which affects the immune and nervous systems. Frosty seems to be a healthy whale, and researchers expect it to live to a normal age.