Crowds Flock To Monterey Bay To Get Glimpse Of Casper The Rare Albino Dolphin

MONTEREY (CBS SF) -- Visitors have been flocking to the Monterey Bay recently, hoping to catch a glimpse of a rare albino Risso's dolphin lovingly named Casper.

While it's not usual to see pods of Risso's dolphins racing through the water of Monterey Bay during a popular whale watching trip, it is very rare to see albino of the species.

Researchers believe Casper is the same dolphin spotted as a baby back in 2015.

Colleen Talty, a marine biologist at Monterey Bay Whale Watch, says Casper sightings can few and far between.

"He's not a very common dolphin to see, but we will see him often when he's in those large groups," she said. "We saw him today, but sometimes we go out many months in between sightings."

Casper recently put on quite a show for the whale watching boats.

"He came up really close to the boat which is not always his normal behavior," Talty said. "He can sometimes be pretty elusive."

Among those on the boat was Ben Hagler, who has been whale watching in Monterey Bay for years.

"I saw him once before last September but it was only for a couple surfacings," he said. "This time was amazing. He just kept coming up and was pretty close to the boat."