‘Extremely rare’ sea creature spotted off California coast. See the ‘thrilling’ moment

A group got an “extremely rare” sighting of a sea creature off the coast of California, officials said.

A white orca, famously known as Frosty, was spotted off Santa Barbara, along with the six others in the pod during the “thrilling” experience, according to an Instagram post by the Pacific Offshore Expeditions.

Frosty and the other orcas were seen playing “cat and mouse” with some sea lions, but for reasons officials can’t explain, no sea lions were harmed, the Jan. 12 video showed.

White orcas like Frosty are a dream for “enthusiasts” to see, with “only a handful documented worldwide” and “fewer than 10 confirmed,” according to a Jan. 14 Facebook post by the Sky Angel Drones.

Frosty is believed to be leucistic, which means the orca has reduced pigmentation but not a complete lack like animals with albinism, according to Sky Angel Drone and the National Park Service.

The average lifespan for male orcas is 30 to 60 years, with females living 50 to 90 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

They are highly social and use underwater sound to feed and communicate with one another, NOAA said.

Other notable white orcas are Iceberg, spotted near Russia in 2012; Chimo, a female that lived in captivity 1970s; and Tl’uk, a gray-white orca spotted in British Columbia, Sky Angel Drone said.

Santa Barbara is about a 90-mile drive northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

This story was originally published January 15, 2025 at 1:35 PM with the headline "‘Extremely rare’ sea creature spotted off California coast. See the ‘thrilling’ moment."