Russian scientists to further study only known all-white, adult killer whale in North Pacific BEIJING, April 24 (Xinhuanet) -- A team of R...

Russian scientists to further study only known all-white, adult killer whale in North Pacific

BEIJING, April 24 (Xinhuanet) -- A team of Russian scientists will embark on a quest next week to observe the only known all-white, adult killer whale named Iceberg.

The scientists from the universities of Moscow and St. Petersburg first spotted the orca's towering, two-meter dorsal fin break the surface near the Commander Islands in the North Pacific in August 2010.

Living in a family group with 12 other resident orcas, Iceberg was deemed to be at least 16 years old, given the size of his dorsal fin, said Erich Hoyt, co-director of The Far East Russia Orca Project (FEROP).

The scientists would like to establish whether Iceberg is albino. Many albino animals never grow into adulthood as their visibility is a disadvantage in the hunt for food and protection against predators.

Two other white orcas are known to live in the waters where Iceberg was spotted, but are juveniles. In 1970, a two-year-old white orca, Chimo, was captured in Canada for a dolphinarium, and was diagnosed with a type of albinism after its death two years later.

The FEROP team wants to find out how Iceberg is able to survive as a mature male white whale. It will set out for Bering Island as part of a project to study the social behavior and communication of the orca population.

(Agencies)