Shortly after a video of a rare albino dolphin swimming in the coast of Florida surfaced on the Internet on December last year, conservationists expressed their concerns regarding the safety of the animal, according to International Business Times.
The video was taken by Danielle Carter, a volunteer for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on Dec. 10. The two-minute clip shows a lone white bottlenose dolphin swimming near the shore lined with mangroves.
Carter's clip was then shared by Florida's wildlife agency on YouTube on Dec. 19. Environmental scientists considered the video a significant discovery since recorded sightings of albino marine animals are rare.
Since the 1960s, there have only been 14 albino dolphin sightings. Carter's video marks the 15th.
In addition, albino animals that have been spotted in the past such as porpoises and various types of whales have light or pinkish skin tones, UPI reported. However, in the case of the latest discovery, the dolphin is noticeably white.
Due to the special case of the rare dolphin, Brandon Basino, the spokesperson for the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, noted that it is important to ensure the security and safety of the animal. This includes not disclosing the exact location of the animal to the public.
Fearing that people might flock to the area where the dolphin was seen, Basino said the organization did not reveal the location where it was last spotted nor asked Carter to disclose where she shot the video.
"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," he told Florida Today.
"We did not ask for a specific location for this very reason," he added.
Despite trying to keep the location a secret, Carter had already told Florida Today that the video of the dolphin was shot at a lagoon in Brevard County.
