White adult killer whale spotted off coast of Russia   

(Jason Farmer /RedOrbit.com, 24 April 2012) -- Scientists believe they have made the very first sighting of an adult white killer whale, according to various media reports. The adult male was spotted off the coast of Kamchatka in eastern Russia. Scientists have nicknamed the whale Iceberg. The whale appears to be in good health and is living with a normal pod. Occasionally, white whales of other species are seen, but prior to this sighting, the only known white orcas have been young. The sighting of the white whale was made by a group of Russian scientists and students, co-led by Dr Erich Hoyt, a long-time orca researcher. “It has the full two-meter-high dorsal fin of a mature male, which means it’s at least 16 years old – in fact the fin is somewhat ragged, so it might be a bit older,” Hoyt told BBC News reporter Richard Black. Adult male orcas can live up to 50 or 60 years, though 30 years old is more the average.

Posted 24 April 2012; 11:09:29 AM.   Permalink

Tagged: April12, Circumpolar News, Flora and Fauna, Russia