“Popcorn” the albino bottlenose turns 1 year and 2 months old!
By Lloyd Edwards

1. News

Much to the conventional wisdom theory that albino animals never last long in nature . . . “Popcorn” has defied the odds. Our very own white dolphin is still going strong!

Since the first sighting after my son Kalahari and Toni’s wedding in April 2023, we have seen Popcorn over a dozen times. It has been interesting that the pod size ranges from 200 to 600 animals. This is normal according to feeding or mating activities.

We caught up with Popcorn and co just South of the Port of Coega breakwater recently and followed them into the mouth of the harbour. The water was dirty, but we could see mom and calf moving very fast through the water while feeding. The pod was spread out and we observed quite a few with fish in their mouths.

We have had five sightings of killer whales in Algoa Bay this year, some preying on dolphins. Luckily Popcorn has not been on the menu! The other predator that would attack, is any white shark over three metres. Besides juveniles that are often observed close inshore, there have been no sizeable ones around. Current feelings are that the demersal shark long lining vessels that operate out of Port Elizabeth harbour, could be the reason. See our Live Shark Project, https://www.raggycharters.co.za/page/live-shark-project

As these long liners have severely impacted on the population of soup fin and smooth hound sharks in Algoa Bay, the whites have moved to areas where this prey species occurs in large numbers. This year the white sharks have been full up around East London, where the long liners do not operate. Good news for Popcorn but bad news for sharks and the entire marine eco system.

On another note, we are busy setting up a collaboration with the International Marine Mammal Project who are trying to get a similar albino bottlenose dolphin, the same as Popcorn, called Angel, released from an aquarium (jail) in Japan. https://savedolphins.eii.org/news/save-angel-the-albino-Whale and Dolphin Conservation

During 2014 a large pod of dolphins was driven into the notorious cove in Taiji, Japan where hundreds of dolphins are slaughtered annually. An albino was caught, her family butchered, and she was sold to the Taiji Whale Museum, where she is still being kept. By supporting cetaceans in aquariums, you are encouraging this kind of activity.

Popcorn with eyes closed as there is no pigment and is therefore very sensitive to the sun. Taken with a Nikon Z9 mirrorless, ISO 800, f/8, 1/1250th second and 300mm zoom.

Popcorn chasing shallow water shoaling reef fish at the entrance to the Port of Coega. Thanks to Claudia for the image.

Popcorn with mom. The eyes are always closed but who needs vision when you have the most advanced echo location system that has yet to invented by humans! Another great capture by Claudia.

This image of Popcorn was taken in February. Note the goose barnacle hanging off the dorsal fin. I took this image with a Nikon Z9 mirrorless, ISO 300, f/8, 1/1600th second at 200mm zoom.

Very often the mom would get between Popcorn and our catamaran. We always keep our distance of 50 metres from cetaceans and let them control the approach. A sub-Antarctic skua looks on . . . always hoping for a scrap when the dolphins are feeding!

Popcorn on first sighting. Look how much the animal has grown since then! This image was taken in Lloyd's Bay at St Croix Island, Algoa Bay.