The White Blue Whale.

Written by Cristóbal González Comella

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The white blue whale our team encountered earlier this month during their 5-week long expedition in Loreto, Mexico is the blue whale that has the strongest visual component of albinism in the world.  

It was first officially documented in 1997 at the very same region of the Sea of Cortez where our team had their experience. This blue whale has been observed over the past few decades between the Oregon and Baja California Sur coastlines. The white blue whale has had previous sightings in the Santa Barbara Channel off the California coast, having been officially documented in the area two consecutive years during the early 2000’s. A biopsy confirmed that this incredibly rare specimen is a male. It had last been documented off the Oregon coast in August of 2025.    

Its unique physical appearance creates an even more intense blue before it pierces the surface of the water, and radiates white when in direct contact with the sun. Aside from its striking looks, during our encounter it had a very shy and elusive personality, taking long dives that lasted well over 10 minutes, continually surfacing away from the boat. It never fluked (to dive showing its tail), the ocean conditions were not the best (far from the worst), but the sky was clear and the sun was out which made it ideal to truly appreciate this majestic creature. Blue Whales are the largest known species of animal to ever roam the planet, viewing one that is white was truly a special gift.   

Albinism is an extremely rare condition that affects cetaceans, along with other fauna and flora. It is caused by a genetic mutation that affects the amount of melanin the body produces, resulting in very white skin, and potentially red or pink eyes. Types of albinism have been previously observed in a variety of cetaceans including sperm whales, humpback whales, orcas, and even bottlenose dolphins.   

Witnessing the white blue whale in the Sea of Cortez was a rare experience, one Mother Nature seldomly shares with us.