Rare Albino Dolphin Calf Spotted in Monterey Bay, California, After Long Absence

People sailing in California's Monterey Bay might be in for a rare treat: An albino dolphin has been spotted in the area in recent weeks.

Those aboard the Blue Ocean Whale Watch first spotted the unusual dolphin in January. It then disappeared until late September, when it made an appearance with its mother and a number of relatives:

According to Discovery News, the baby dolphin is a local celebrity and as such, the sighting is a cause for celebration.

This calf is a Risso's dolphin, sometimes also called a gray dolphin because of its coloring. They can grow up to 13 feet long and weight as much as 1,100 pounds. Typically, Risso's dolphins are born darker and their color fades with time to a pale gray. Because this dolphin is albino, it'll stay pale for the duration of its life.

It's not unusual that the whale watch spotted the Risso's traveling together: They usually move in groups of 10 to 30, though sightings of several hundred and even a thousand of the sea creatures have been reported.

There isn't much known about how Risso's dolphins migrate, though the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration notes they have been found around the world, including in the Gulf of Mexico, Norway, Argentina and New Zealand.

In early September, an albino bottlenose dolphin was spotted in the Calcasieu Lake in Louisiana, but in an unusual twist, it appeared pink instead of white. A boat charter service captain, Erik Rue, spotted the unusual animal and dubbed it Pinky.