Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Rare white orca seen off Russia may have been Alaska visitor, too

Whale experts aren't sure if the Russian whale, bottom, is the same animal as this white orca spotted by scientists off Alaska's Aleutian Islands, top, in 2000 and again in 2008. The Alaskan white orca had faint ripples on its dorsal fin and a shark bite near its blowhole. The Russian whale, nicknamed Iceberg, didn't have the fin ripples or bite marks, but scientists say both could have faded over time.