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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
Lifestyle
Asharq Al-Awsat

Rare White Penguin Spotted on the Galapagos Islands

A rare white Galapagos penguin. /AFP

An extremely-rare white penguin has been spotted in the Galapagos Islands.

Guide Jimmy Patino filmed the unusual bird at the Punta Vicente Roca site on Isabela Island while he was giving a tour to two tourists earlier this month.

The rare penguin with white plumage was seen calmly standing next to a lizard nearly twice its size as the inquisitive guide moved in for a closer look, the Daily Mail reported.

The bird's species has not been officially confirmed, but it is believed to be a Galapagos penguin - or Spheniscus mendiculus - which are endemic to the archipelago.

Galapagos penguins normally have a black head and two white lines going down from their eyes towards their chin. They also have a black stripe on their neck.

This penguin's white colour is likely brought about by a form of leucistic pigmentation, meaning its feathers are missing the black colour penguins are normally associated with.

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