“Iceberg” is the only wholly white (albino) killer whale known to exist.
He rarely raises his distinctive dorsal fin above the surface of the water for the eyes of humanity.
His latest appearance, however, was off the coast of Russia as he made his way down the far eastern coastline with his pod.
Iceberg was not even on scientists’ radar until he was fully mature and traveling with 13 of his relatives in 2010.
At that time, he was spending his time in the Commander Islands.
His pod now seems to consist of around 60 other killer whales.
A pod is a name for the basic social structure used by the orca whale, the scientific designation of this beast.
Technically, the killer whale is a member of the dolphin family, and they can be found in oceans throughout the world, as the temperature of the oceans rarely limits their habitat.
They can be found hunting and living in the frigid waters of Antarctica or the tropical waters of the Caribbean.
Iceberg is a lone albino whale who seems to display all the everyday habits we would attribute to any killer whale.
Iceberg is part of a matrilineal family that is highly stable throughout the killer whale’s lifetime, and like most killer whales, Iceberg is very social and well-adjusted.
Because of the pod’s extremely close social behavior, they can often be found hunting together and using team-oriented strategies to isolate and capture their prey.
A killer whale’s diet is highly diverse, allowing them to survive in many different habitats across the globe.
They eat fish, walruses, seals, sea lions, and occasionally large whales.
Their aggressive hunting style and carnivorous menu have earned this large dolphin the nickname of the “killer whale.”
While these species will eat any of the above creatures, specific pods will specialize in hunting particular food sources based on the region that they tend to inhabit.
Within the orca whale population, it is possible to break them further into subspecies that display disjunctive coloration and stay in particular bodies of water.
Despite the current designations of type A through type D, Iceberg qualifies as a type all his own.
His habits are rarely documented, and his lack of distinctive markings makes the traditional designations more of a challenge.
Although, documentation up to this point indicates that he is likely to fall under the category of Resident orcas.
Orcas groups are often labeled as Resident orcas, Transient orcas, or Offshore orcas.
People most commonly see Resident Orcas.
They tend to inhabit the north Pacific waters, primarily off fish caught in open waters.
They travel together in family units that vary in complexity as offspring are born and mature.
Transient orcas are much less dependent on the family unit.
They feed primarily on other mammals that live in and around the ocean.
The vocalizations they use to communicate are less complex than resident orcas’ communication methods.
The females in this group also display a more triangular dorsal fin and primarily gray patches of color at the base of their fin.
The waters of the northeastern Pacific are the home of Offshore orcas.
This type of orca is estimated to account for roughly one-third of the killer whale population.
These groups have been spotted congregating in numbers of over 200 individual whales.
They tend to feed on schooling fish but will come onshore to hunt unsuspecting mammals.
Although the albino killer whale seems to be an anomaly in the genetics of the orca species, the killer whale itself dates back over ten million years ago.
The size of its dorsal fin can determine the actual age of a killer whale.
With a dorsal fin extending a total of 6.6 feet in the air, scientists and researchers have determined that Iceberg is 16 years old.
Considering that the average male will have a lifespan of around 29 years, Iceberg has just past the middle of his life.
On the other hand, the average female will live an average of 50 years and can continue breeding until they reach the age of 40.