Two rare white orcas are spotted off the coast of Japan

Two rare white orcas are spotted off the coast of Japan
Two rare white orcas are spotted off the coast of Japan

Whale-watchers off the coast of Japan could scarcely believe their eyes after catching sight of two rare white orcas swimming together as part of the same pod. 

The orcas were spotted during a whale-watching tour on July 24 in the Kunashirskiy Strait, a 20-mile stretch of water between the northern islands of Hokkaido and Kunashir.

Mai, an employee of the Gojiraiwa-Kanko tour company, said one of the pair was older with slightly darker skin while the other was younger and had clearly-visible scratch marks down its back.

She said the older whale was first spotted around two years ago but it is the first time she has seen the younger animal and the first time she has seen both of them together.

'It was the best day ever. This is the first time two white orcas have been seen off the coast of Japan,' she said. 

Japanese whale-watchers were stunned to spot two rare white orcas swimming off the coast of Hokkaido, one of the country's northern-most islands, over the weekend

Japanese whale-watchers were stunned to spot two rare white orcas swimming off the coast of Hokkaido, one of the country's northern-most islands, over the weekend

The pair include an older orca (right) which had previously been seen two years ago, and a younger orca (left) which has never previously been seen before

The pair include an older orca (right) which had previously been seen two years ago, and a younger orca (left) which has never previously been seen before

The pair are part of a pod that contains mostly normal-looking orcas, but these two are thought to carry a gene which partially removes pigment from their skin - making them appear white

The pair are part of a pod that contains mostly normal-looking orcas, but these two are thought to carry a gene which partially removes pigment from their skin - making them appear white

The white orcas are not thought to be true albinos, meaning they have no skin pigment, and are instead thought to have leucism - an umbrella term for a range of conditions which partially removes pigment from their skin

The white orcas are not thought to be true albinos, meaning they have no skin pigment, and are instead thought to have leucism - an umbrella term for a range of conditions which partially removes pigment from their skin 

The pair are not 'true' albinos, which is caused by a genetic trait that means the affected animal produces no melanin at all - the compound that gives skin, hair, feathers and eyes their colour.

True albinos will be completely white and have red eyes - a colour given by the red blood in vessels which are usually hidden behind the iris showing through.

Instead, these two whales are thought to have leucism - an umbrella term that covers a range of conditions where animals produce some melanin, but either have noticeably

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