A rare white transient orca was spotted off the coast of Vancouver Island by a local whale watching company while on a tour Tuesday.
Paul Pudwell, the owner of Sooke Whale Watching, snapped a few photos of the unusual sight in the Strait of Juan de Fuca near Sooke.
READ ALSO: Orca punting seal spotted by Greater Victoria whale watching company
Tl’uk, whose name means Moon in Indigenous Coast Salish, was first spotted by Pudwell back in November 2018. Researchers estimate that the whale is two years old.
Researchers have previously noted that the young whale isn’t albino because it would have completely white skin and no pigment in its eyes. Instead, it is most likely leucism, a condition where there is a partial loss of pigmentation in an animal.
Known to scientists as T46-B1B, Tl’uk has been spotted as far south as the Puget Sound and earlier in August, as far north as Alaska.
READ MORE: Rare white orca spotted hunting off shores of Alaska for first time
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