Video: Rare albino baby dolphin spotted in Florida, netizens call it 'beautiful'

A video of an extremely rare all-white baby dolphin has taken the internet by storm. Shared on Facebook by Caitlin Mackey, the clip shows three dolphins - one adult and two calves - swimming in the waters along the coast of Florida in the US. Mackey said that she was visiting the Cleanwater basin Marina when she spotted a large dolphin and calves, one of which was completely white in colour. 

Dolphins are frequently spotted in the waters of Florida, however, one of the three dolphins seen this time had unusual colouration which some theorised could be caused by albinism, which is a complete loss of pigmentation which is said to happen in mammals in about one out of every 1,000 births. While speaking to Fox13, Mackey said that she has seen all kinds of dolphins, but never an all-white one. In the caption, she wrote, “Incredible footage of our local wildlife”. 

In a separate post, Cleanwater Marine Aquarium informed that the calf is a known dolphin named Cherub. The aquarium said that they believe that Cherub is less than a year old. They further informed that the calf has a healed injury resulting in partial loss of one fluke, but otherwise appears in good condition and has displayed normal behaviour. 

Further, the aquarium said that they have been observing its mother, Guardian, since 2013. They also shared a reminder that dolphins are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which makes it illegal to harass, feed, hunt, capture or kill any marine mammal. “Please remember this while loving our wildlife in our local waters,” Cleanwater Marine Aquarium added.  

Albino dolphin in sightings is extremely rare. Fox13 reported that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) states that whatever is known about the genetic disorder of the dolphins comes from humans. The administration said that it is a genetic predisposition, expressed as a lack of melanin pigments within the body. Further, NOAA informed that there have only been two other documented sightings of albino bottlenose dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico. 

‘Beautiful sight’ 

Meanwhile, the clip shared by Mackey has created a buzz on social media. While one user called the footage “awesome,” another said, “Is that cool or what!! I've never seen one before”. “That looks amazing,” wrote third. “Beautiful sight,” said fourth. 

(Image: Pixabay)