A rare, white dolphin has been spotted off the rugged coast of central California.
Scientists said they believe the albino animal, dubbed Casper, visits the Monterey area often.
You can see him any time of year. Sometimes he stays for several months with his family and other Risso's dolphins," marine biologist Nancy Black told Mercury News.
Risso's dolphins, often called gray dolphins, typically prefer deep, offshore waters but are very active on the surface. The species sometimes associates with other dolphins and whales and can reach up to 13-feet long and weigh up to 1,100 pounds, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Black said her staff at Monterey Bay Whale Watch encountered the mesmerizing dolphin twice in the last week of October.
Biologists believe the warm-blooded swimming mammal is at least 9-years old. While occasionally living independently, Risso’s often travel in large pods. The organization said Casper has frequently been spotted with his mother.
"It was magical," whale photographer Daniel Bianchetta, who named the dolphin after first finding him in 2015, told Mercury. "The name just seemed appropriate. We wouldn't see him for six months at a time, so he was kind of like a ghost, you'd see him sometimes, and then you wouldn't."
Animal experts believe Casper has leucism, an animal condition hat results in partial or full los of pigmentation. Orange County residents have occasionally seen a black-and-white, leucistic dolphin named Patches for more than a decade off the coast of Dana Point.
Black said Casper is so noticeable, he often helps dolphin and whale watchers quickly spot groups he’s traveling with.
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