A rare white killer whale has been spotted in the sea.
The albino orca was swimming in a pod of normal coloured whales.
Photographer Noriyuki Hayakawa captured the encounter off Japan’s volcanic island Hokkaido.
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Hayakawa, 64, a freelance photographer based in Sapporo, has spent the past 15 years documenting the orca population around Japan.
But nothing prepared him for what he experienced that day on a tourist boat in the frigid northern waters.
“My legs were shaking with excitement,” Hayakawa recalled.
“It was the first time in my life I’d seen a white orca.
“I was desperate to get a shot, they swim fast and only surface for a moment.”
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The white orca was spotted by another nearby tourist vessel, which radioed Hayakawa’s boat and allowed them to approach, as reported by What’s The Jam.
The sighting was entirely unexpected, as Hayakawa hadn’t set out that day specifically looking for the rare creature.
The albino or leucistic orca – scientists are still unsure which condition affects these rare whales – is part of a small group of just three white orcas known to have appeared in the region.
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This marks the first time Hayakawa personally encountered one.
“This photo means so much to me,” Hayakawa said.
“I’ve spent over a decade photographing orcas and this is the first white one I’ve ever seen.
“I hope as many people as possible get to see it and appreciate how rare and beautiful these animals are.
“I received a lot of comments saying it’s fake, that it was made with AI or edited,” Hayakawa added.
“But it’s real.
“I was there.”
