This humpback whale has Leucism, lacks proper skin pigmentation

Nov 16, 2012 07:25 GMT  ·  By

Only recently, a white humpback whale has been spotted near the coast of Norway by Dan Fisher, a British maritime engineer who was simply taking his boat out for a spin.

It was Dan Fisher's decision to name this rare marine mammal “Willow the Whale,” although there are some who choose to refer to it as Moby Dick's doppelgänger.

Specialists explain that, as a result of a medical condition known as Leucism, this whale lacks proper skin pigmentation, and that this is the reason for its unusual color.

“Everyone I have told about it hasn't believed me until I show them the pictures. It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime spot,” Dan Fisher told members of the press.

“I saw a lot of humpback whales this year but nothing as spectacular as this one,” he went on to add.