Chances are though you’ve never seen an albino animal in person.
A giant albino manta ray (Manta bitostris) was spotted in the waters close to Playas del Coco, Papagayo, Islas Catalinas and Culebra Bay, Costa Rica.
See one of these albino manta rays below. (At the start of the video the manta ray is upside down! 22 seconds into the video, the massive manta flips!)
Rare genetic mutations can cause an animal to be born lacking pigments which means they come out with white fur/skin and reddish looking eyes.
Since ancient times, white animals have held a special place with humans, they are sacred in many cultures and mythologies and nowadays are almost always an endangered species.
Scuba diver instructor Rolbin Garcia who is also a photographer for the Ecotourism agency based in Playas del Coco was lucky enough to run into one of these magnificent animals and captured the moment on camera.
Albino animals are not a first but what’s special about this sighting is that the albino manta ray is one of the rarest albino animals, so for it to be caught on camera is simply amazing.
What else is impressive is that manta rays don’t tend to come up to the surface much, they can reach depths of up to 4000 feet, and the majority of their diet comes from the deep sea. It was lucky to spot this one so close to the surface!
Manta rays are huge and beautiful animals which we still have a lot to learn about.
