PICS: Extraordinary white southern right whales spotted off Garden Route coast

Pippa Hudson interviews Dr Els Vermeulen of the whale unit at the University of Pretoria's Mammal Research Institute.

Listen below.

In an extraordinary sighting off the coast of Hartenbos in the Western Cape, two rare white southern right whales recently made headlines.

Michael de Nobrega, a passionate outdoor photographer, caught these elusive giants, known for their strikingly white hue, on camera.

De Nobrega's lens first captured 'Snowflake', a breathtaking white southern right whale breaching the pristine blue waters.

To his amazement, he later spotted a second white whale, affectionately named 'Snow White'.

This rare double encounter is a marvel, considering that only 3.5% of newborn calves in South Africa exhibit this unusual colouration.

Vermeulen explains that due to a unique gene located on the sixth chromosome, 94% of these calves are male.

This means that 'Snowflake' and 'Snow White' are probably males.

"It's not a real albinism; it's more a reduced production of melatonin."

- Els Vermeulen, Mammal Research Institute - University of Pretoria

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.