A life-long whale-watcher was ‘shaking with excitement’ when he spotted a rare white killer whale while swimming in a pod of normal coloured orcas.

The albino or leucistic orca is part of a small group of just three white orcas known to have appeared off Japan‘s volcanic island Hokkaido.

Often, albino animals are shunned by their pack because the white colouring can make them stand out to predators.

But this marvel of nature luckily seemed to be accepted by their pod as they were seen jumping alongside other whales who had the usual colouring.

Despite the protection of the other whales, the albino orca was covered in gnarly scars to show its battle wounds from the open ocean.

The unique orca is not not ‘true’ albino, which is caused by a genetic trait that means the affected animal produces no melanin at all – the compound that gives skin, hair, feathers and eyes their colour.

True albinos will be completely white and have red eyes – a colour given by the red blood in vessels which are usually hidden behind the iris showing through.

The creamy-coloured beauty instead had vaguely whiter patches surrounding the orca’s chin and eyes which showed it was leucistic – meaning it lacks pigmentation, rather than having none at all.

A rare white killer whale was spotted off Japan ‘s volcanic island Hokkaido, one of the country’s northern-most islands

It is not known what effect the white colour has on the affected orcas but its added visibility may mean they attract more attention from rivals

Sometimes albino animals are shunned by their pack but this marvel of nature luckily seemed to be accepted by their pod

The glaring scars might also suggest leucism as the scar tissue contains more pigment than the rest of the skin, hence why the wounds are difficult to miss.

Photographer Noriyuki Hayakawa captured the albino orca after another nearby tourist vessel spotted them and radioed Mr Hayakawa’s boat.

‘My legs were shaking with excitement,’ the 64-year-old said. ‘It was the first time in my life I’d seen a white orca. I was desperate to get a shot, they swim fast and only surface for a moment.’

The freelance photographer, based in Sapporo, has spent the past 15 years documenting the orca population around Japan.

But nothing prepared him for what he experienced that day on a tourist boat in the frigid northern waters.

The sighting last summer was entirely unexpected, as Mr Hayakawa hadn’t set out that day specifically looking for the rare creature, as reported by What’s The Jam.