Videographer: Albino dolphin seen in Brevard

As rare as snow in Florida, an albino dolphin — one of only 15 spotted in the past half century — popped up in an estuary off Florida's east coast this Christmas season.

Danielle Carter, a volunteer with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, shot video of the albino bottlenose dolphin on Dec. 10. She told FLORIDA TODAY the video was shot in Brevard County's Indian River Lagoon.

FWC officials posted the video on YouTube but won't say exactly where the dolphin was spotted. They don't want people harassing the rare marine mammal.

"We thought it was worth sharing due to their rarity but we are not able to give out an exact location for the sake of the animal's safety," Brandon Basino, a spokesman with the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, said via email. "We did not ask for a specific location for this very reason."

The two-minute video shows the white dolphin surfacing several times near a shoreline of mangroves. The dolphin is most visible toward the end of the video.

See the albino dolphin YouTube video here

Some 20 species of dolphins, whales and porpoises are known to exhibit albinism. They are a lighter color — sometimes, but not always, white — because they lack melanin pigments in their skin.

But there have been only 14 recorded sightings of albino bottlenose dolphins since 1962, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Carter's would be the 15th sighting.

Not much is know about albino dolphins because of their extreme rarity. They are often referred to as "pink" dolphin because of their coloration but are considered albino.

Most albinism is caused by genetically recessive genes from both parents, NOAA says, though some rare forms are inherited from only one parent.

Albinism is characterized by having white or light skin and hair, plus pink or red eyes. In addition, it can also often cause impaired vision.

"I don't believe we have enough clinical information to indicate if they are 'healthy,'" Greg Bossart, a veterinary pathologist at the Georgia Aquarium, said via email. "However, albinism may not be an adaptive trait in a wild animal as it makes them more prone to predation for obvious reasons."

Responsible Dolphin Viewing Tips

•Observe wild dolphins from a safe distance of at least 50 yards.

•Use binoculars or telephoto lenses for a better view of the animals.

•Limit overall viewing time to no more than 30 minutes.

•Travel in a predictable manner and do not attempt to herd, chase, or separate groups of marine mammals.

•Do not separate mothers and calves.

•Avoid circling or entrapping marine mammals between watercraft, or watercraft and the shore.

•Avoid abrupt movements or loud noises around marine mammals.

•Move away cautiously if behaviors are observed that indicate the animal is stressed or disturbed [e.g., tailslap, repeated breaching, or forceful exhale (chuff, which sounds like a cough)].

•Avoid touching or swimming with wild marine mammals, even if they approach you

•Federal law prohibits feeding or attempting to feed dolphins and other maine mammals in the wild.

•To report marine mammal violations call NOAA Fisheries Enforcement Hotline: 1-800-853-1964.

Source: NOAA Fisheries

Contact Waymer at 321-242-3663 or jwaymer@floridatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JWayEnviro.