Photographer Captures Ultra-Rare White Orca Off the Coast of Japan

A rare white orca breaches the ocean surface, showcasing its unique pale coloration. Water splashes around it against a clear blue sky, emphasizing its dorsal fin and sleek body in the expansive sea. — A ghostly white orca seen off the coast of Japan. | Tokuyuki Hayakawa

A nature photographer in Japan has captured photos and video of a rare white orca, despite some people calling his work fake.

Tokuyuki Hayakawa specializes in photographing killer whales in the waters off Rausu on the northern tip of Japan. He spends 40 to 50 days per year in the remote region, according to Studio Persol.

But last summer, Hayakawa captured something extraordinary: a white orca. “This is the first time I’ve encountered a white orca after 15 years of photographing orcas in Rausu,” the photographer wrote on X.

A white orca with a prominent dorsal fin swims in the ocean, partially submerged, creating a splash. The horizon is visible in the background under a cloudy sky. — N. Hayakawa

Hayakawa says he was stunned to see two cream-colored orcas swimming with 20-30 usual-colored killer whales as the boat he was in struggled to keep up with the pod.

“My legs were shaking as I photographed the white orcas I met for the first time,” Hayakawa wrote on Instagram. “[It] looks like a golden-ish cream-colored orca synthesized into a blue sea. I still think it was a dream.”

‘Fake’

However, despite the incredible captures, some online commenters have called out Hayakawa implying that his photos aren’t real.

“We have received comments such as ‘Fake?’, ‘Composite?’, ‘Did they make them white with Photoshop?’, but we have done absolutely nothing of the sort,” Hayakawa wrote on Instagram.

One of the photos does make the whale look so ghostly that it looks unreal but Hayakawa’s video footage backs up the photo, proving that he really did see a white killer whale. Hayakawa also says he went back in the following days and continued to see the white orcas.

It’s uncertain why the whale has creamy skin but The Dodo reports that it may be because of leucism rather than being fully albino because of the whale’s eye color.

A rare white orca surfaces in the ocean, its tall dorsal fin cutting through the water. The sunlight highlights the orca's pale body against the surrounding blue sea and sky, creating a striking contrast. — N. Hayakawa

Two orcas swimming near the surface of the ocean. One is predominantly white, while the other has the typical black and white coloring. The sea is calm under a clear blue sky. — N. Hayakawa

“While albinism refers to the complete lack of melanin — the natural pigment that gives skin, feathers, hair, and eyes their color — leucism involves a partial loss of pigmentation,” according to Treehugger.

“Animals with albinism are white or pale in color over their entire bodies but also have eyes that are pale, pink, or red in color, while animals with leucism often have partially white or patchy features with darker eyes.”

In 2023, a white-colored calf named “Frosty” was filmed off the coast of southern California. And last year, PetaPixel spoke with Machi Yoshida who lives her dream capturing orcas all over the world.

More of Hayakawa’s can be found on his Instagram and X/Twitter.

Image credits: Photographs by Tokuyuki Hayakawa