'Ghostly' Dolphin Spotted Off Coast Of South OC

DANA POINT, CA — Passengers and crew aboard a whale watching tour with Capt. Dave's Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari were treated to a rare sighting of a common species — a nearly white common dolphin.

The dolphin is believed to be leucistic, meaning that the mammal experiences a loss of pigmentation — resulting in white coloration, patches, spots or splotches on the skin or fur of animals.

Patchy leucism is commonly seen in animals, and can manifest in humans as vitiligo

"Seeing this rare and unusual dolphin is very special and helps us identify them in the future as well," Gisele Anderson, Co-President of Capt. Dave's Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari, said in a news release.

Sightings of leucistic animals of other species have been reported across the coast over the years. Frosty — an all-white orca — and Patches — a partially leucistic bottlenose dolphin — are just a few of the creatures that have gained famed from past sightings.