Ultra-rare ‘albino’ shark is first ever caught off coast of Britain
AN AMATEUR fisherman has snared the first ever "albino" shark caught off the coast of Britain.
Jason Gillespie, 50, was deep-sea fishing with some friends near the Isle of Wight when he caught a tope shark that was entirely white.
The shark, which measured around 3ft, is leucistic, a genetic condition which means it's lost all the pigment in its skin.
Under normal circumstances, Jason, from Waterlooville, Hampshire, would have immediately released the shark.
However, due to its unusual colouration, the shop fitter hauled this one on board so he could take a few snaps before letting it go.
Jason said: "I've been fishing for 30 years and I've never seen one like that. apparently it's a condition where the pigment dies out of the skin colour.
In other news, the world’s first picture of an albino panda was snapped in China last year.
A super-rare "ghost owl" with white feathers was recently spotted in Britain.
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And, the world’s oldest animal footprints were uncovered last year by archaeologists.
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