Craig is temporarily a post-doctoral fellow at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute who is looking for a permanent position. He spends most of his time balancing his overwhelming geekdom with normalcy so he can function in the real world. Luckily his wife likes his geekiness.
Peter Etnoyer is a Graduate Research Associate at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. He studies deep corals and ocean fronts, and he loves to be on the water.
Kevin Zelnio is a Graduate Student Researcher at Penn State studying the ecology of hydrothermal vent and methane seep communities. He raises awareness of the plight of the spineless through folk music.
All the rage this week on the big bad web is the big bad albino orca. It swims around the big dark ocean intimidating other sea creatures with its big white...The...ummm...big glowing specimen was spotted aboard the NOAA RV Oscar Dyson with its pod about two miles off Kanaga Volcano, part of Alaska's Aleutian Islands, on February 23. At the time, Kodiak-based Oscar Dyson was on a research expedition for NOAA's Alaska Fisheries Science Center, assessing pollock fish stocks near Steller sea lion haulout sites.
So how many other cracker creatures are there?
An Albino Grey Nurse Shark spotted at Australian's best known diving and fishing spot Fish Rock.
One of seven rare albino alligators from a zoo in Brazil
Albino White-Spotted Ratfish caught during a marine survey in Washington's Puget Sound
The exotic albino fish named Earl taken during the West Bladenboro Baptist Church Trip to Fort Fisher
Same Albino Ratfish as above.
Tiny Albino Leatherback
Albino Blue Crab from Chesapeake Bay.
Albino American Lobster with a claw missing.
Albino Leopard Slug
Albino Chinese Softshell Turtle
Albino SandTiger Shark
Albino Monkfish
Albino Pilot Whale
Albino Cannonball Jellyfish
Albino Stingray
Life Science
Comments
I believe the orca is actually just white and not an albino. At least thats what I read elsewhere. There WAS an albino orca in captivity once, named Chimo.
Posted by: Angel One | March 10, 2008 9:47 PM
Seems there must be prophecy of the white sea turtle.
Posted by: Peter | March 11, 2008 6:51 PM
There's a page on albinos in "Ripley's believe it or not!: The Remarkable...Revealed." On it there's a kangaroo, a blackbird, a chimp, a squirrel, a gorilla, a hedgehog, and an alligator.
Posted by: Kristin | March 11, 2008 7:26 PM
The albino rattail is ethereal, almost beautiful and majestic.
Too bad its just a stupid fish.
Posted by: kevin z | March 11, 2008 7:59 PM
lmfao. you hate fish.
Posted by: Peter | March 11, 2008 10:38 PM
No! I love them! Especially sauteed in garlic lemon butter with a dallop of creamy dill sauce. Or beer-battered with chips with a nice hefty stout.
Posted by: kevin z | March 12, 2008 8:03 PM
A perfect application of Gorton's Law!
2 points for 'dallop'. :)
Posted by: Peter | March 12, 2008 8:20 PM
that second photo looks like there is some black underneath that yellowness. Could it be possible that something was spilled on it? It looks like around the eye is the actual white normality seen in an Orca but the rest seems like a faded black.
btw, i love this blog. I check it every day. keep it up! u update me on my childhood dreams that just didn't work out!
Posted by: Brandon | March 13, 2008 2:33 PM