White orca named ‘Frostbite’ spotted in Monterey Bay

MOSS LANDING, Calif. (KION) A white orca calf named "Frostbite" was spotted in the Monterey Bay recently, according to Marine Life Studies.

The organization said the killer whale was spotted during one of its research boat surveys on April 24. It said the team had been documenting a group of humpback whales and was heading back when they saw a pod of orcas.

At first when they saw a white dorsal fin, they thought it was Casper, an albino Risso's dolphin that is sometimes in the Bay, but when it surfaced again, the team saw that it was a white orca.

Frostbite was first seen on Sept. 9, 2019 by Kate Cummings, the captain and owner of Blue Ocean Whale Watch. When Cummings saw it, the calf was light gray, meaning that its color has changed since then.

Marine Life Studies said it is working with other scientists to find out what condition the orca has since it is a lighter color now than when it was first spotted.