| Iceberg | |
| Species: | Orcinus orca |
| Gender: | Male |
| Years Active: | 2010 - present |
| Known For: | All-white adult male orca |
| Residence: | North Pacific |
Iceberg is the name of an all-white, mature male orca (killer whale) that was filmed and photographed in 2010 off the north-east coast of Russia. He is one of the first adult all-white orca bulls discovered in the wild.[1] [2]
Researchers attached to the Far East Russia Orca Project (FEROP), co-founded and co-directed by Alexander M. Burdin and Erich Hoyt, first spotted the orca when his six-foot (two-metre) dorsal fin broke the surface near the Commander Islands in the Bering Sea in August 2010. He was living in a pod with 12 other orcas, and given the size of his dorsal fin was thought to be at least 16 years old.[1] [2] Scientists from FEROP speculated that he may have been the albino whale spotted off the coast of Alaska in 2000 and 2008.[3] He was still alive as of 2016, when he was again spotted by FEROP with his pod.[4]
It is unconfirmed whether Iceberg's pigmentation is albinism or leucism. FEROP is hoping in future expeditions to find out.[1] [2] The white coloration, more common in the Russian north Pacific than among Antarctic whales, may be a sign of dangerous inbreeding.[5]