A drone has captured incredible footage of an albino southern right whale calf frolicking around with its mother in the South Atlantic.
After receiving a tip-off from local tourists, Anton Schutte, 42, from Cape Town, South Africa, cracked out his drone and flew it out to sea. He found the pair just 700 meters (almost 2,300 feet) from the coast of Hermanus.
“Naturally, I was ecstatic to see them still there, only about 700m from the shore! Any time that someone gets to be in the presence of these magnificent creatures, it is a truly life-changing experience,” Schutte told Caters News.
“It sticks with you forever and seeing them from the drone perspective is a whole new amazing experience.”
Animals with albinism are a pretty rare sight in nature. It is a genetic condition that causes a decrease in the production of melanin, the biological pigment that gives skin, hair and eyes their color. Usually, animals affected with albinism do not fare well in the wild, as their lack of pigmentation makes them easy to spot, and they're also prone to other health problems like poor eyesight. However, this little sprite appears to be doing alright for himself.
While uncommon, this isn't the first albino whale ever seen. Migaloo, an albino humpback whale and borderline celebrity, is also occasionally spotted off the coast of Australia.
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