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Orcas are known for their large black and white bodies, making them instantly recognizable in footage and out in the world. That’s why, when Japanese photographer Noriyuki Hayakawa spotted an all-white orca during an expedition, they couldn’t believe their eyes. “This is the first time I’ve encountered a white orca after 15 years of photographing orcas in Rausu (Hokkaido, Japan),” the photographer said on said on X (formerly Twitter).
Hayakawa’s images, shot in June 2024, show a cream-colored male whale swimming in a pod of regular-colored orcas. Upon further inspection, Hayakawa realized there was not one, but two white creatures—one male, one female—that roamed the area. “My legs were shaking as I photographed the white orcas I met for the first time,” Hayakawa says on Instagram. “[It] looks like a golden-ish cream-colored orca synthesized into a blue sea. I still think it was a dream.”
Although one could think the particular coloration on these orcas is attributed to albinism, there’s one key giveaway of what is going on. “The eyes appear black,” Hayakawa reveals on Instagram. This suggests that the whales have a condition known as leucism, a partial loss of pigmentation, as opposed to a complete lack of melanin. Creatures with this condition tend to have uneven or partly white features with dark eyes.
The exceptional coloring of these orcas translates in an uncanny way onto film, prompting skeptic viewers to say they look Photoshopped. Hayakawa, well known in the wildlife photography community, is aware of people saying their images are “fake” and “synthetic,” but has made it clear they are very real by posting them from several angles, as well as sharing video proof of them swimming with a group of 20-30 whales.
If you’d like to bring the charm of these elusive all-white whales home, Hayakawa has calendars and prints for sale on their website. To stay up to date with this lucky photographer’s work, follow Noriyuki Hayakawa on Instagram and X.
Japanese photographer Noriyuki Hayakawa spotted an all-white orca during an expedition in Hokkaido.
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“This is the first time I’ve encountered a white orca after 15 years of photographing orcas in Rausu (Hokkaido, Japan),” the photographer says.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Upon further inspection, Hayakawa realized there was not one, but two white creatures—one male, one female—that roamed the area.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
The odd coloring of the whales suggests that they have a condition known as leucism, a partial loss of pigmentation, as opposed to a complete lack of melanin.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
While many people have been skeptical of the images, the photographer has posted video footage of the all-white whales with their pod of regular-colored orcas.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Noriyuki Hayakawa: Website | Instagram | X
Source: Wildlife Photographer Left Stunned After Capturing A Rare Orca On Film
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