Rare White Whale Calf Sighting

RARE WHITE WHALE CALF SIGHTING
WITH PIX AND VID
By Shuk Yee Tsang
A ghostly white whale calf has been recently spotted swimming alongside its mother off the coast of Costa Rica and experts believe the newborn is less than two weeks old.
The extraordinary sighting was filmed in Drake Bay, Costa Rica.
Paloma Broadley, a tour guide from Deep Blue Tours explains that the calf’s pale skin, floppy dorsal and pectoral fins, visible fetal folds and noticeable swelling around the blowhole all suggest it is extremely young.
Newborn whales are often lighter in colour before their skin darkens with age, and their fins can appear soft and flexible until they strengthen.
The visible fetal folds creases caused by being folded inside the womb gradually fade as the calf grows.
The rare footage offers a close look at the earliest days of life for one of the ocean’s largest mammals, drawing excitement from marine enthusiasts and tour operators alike.
Paloma Broadley said: “Newborn calf alert. This calf is most likely under two weeks old. Ghostly pale skin, dorsal and pectoral fins floppy, fetal folds on its side and swollen around the blowhole.
“We think it could be swollen from birth trauma or because there is no blubber yet to cushion the area.
“It is exciting to see such details from above."
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