Rare Sighting of Albino Bottlenose Dolphin in Algoa Bay, Eastern Cape Shocks Wildlife Enthusiasts – See the Amazing Photos

Photos of an Albino Bottlenose Dolphin in Algoa Bay, Eastern Cape, were recently shared by Raggy Charters. According to The South African, it marks the first time anyone has taken a picture of an albino bottlenose dolphin in Africa. Lloyd Edwards, the owner of Raggy Charters, stated that the albino calf is approximately a month old and measures around one metre in length. Albino dolphin sightings are rare, and they can be an easy target for predatory sharks as they stand out from the rest of the school. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration only documented three sightings of albino dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico in 2021. In the past, Algoa Bay has had partial examples of albinism.

Although albino animals are rare, they have sightings in various places, from the skies to the seas. According to National Geographic, these animals have a partial or complete loss of pigmentation, which results in their pale skin compared to others of their species. In mammals, albinism occurs when an animal inherits one or more mutated genes from its parents that interfere with the body’s melanin production. Albino animals have difficulty surviving in the wild.

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Picture: Twitter / stenellawhyte