Gaspar, a name that the researchers from the Interdisciplinary Centre for Marine Research (CIIMAR) Agatha Gil and Mafalda Correia gave to the first white dolphin to be sighted in the Iberian Peninsula, visited for the first time the waters of the river Douro in 2017.

“One day I went to see the sunset in Foz when I saw something white in the water I thought it was plastic but it came closer, I even thought it was a shark and then I realised that after all it was a dolphin” said Agatha Gil.

Speaking to Lusa the researcher explained that since then Gaspar, who is considered a leucistic animal (because of an anomalous colouring) has been monitored by the team of researchers from CIIMAR, based in Matosinhos, within the scope of project CETUS.

“Gaspar has very peculiar behaviour because it is the only one that approaches less than five meters from the Praia do Molhe in Porto and is always playing with fish” Agatha said adding that the animal is mostly white, having only a few black spots on his back and a small cut on the dorsal fin.

Mafalda Correia said that although the researchers are still uncertain, fishermen in the area say that the dolphin “must be a female” since they have already seen it accompanied by a cub. Though there are leucosis records in California (USA) and in England, Gasper is the first such animal to be registered in the Iberian Peninsula. “We are always in contact with the experts who work with these animals. One of the experts is from California and when he saw the photos of Gaspar he told us that he is the most beautiful leucistic animal in the world” said the researcher.

In addition to the Portuguese coast the team also monitors the Micronesia region (Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands and Cape Verde) to collect data on dolphins and whales in order to determine their abundance in the Atlantic Ocean region.

Since 2012 researchers have been able to identify more than 27 species, of which 20 species of dolphins frequently visit the Portuguese coast the most abundant one being the “common dolphin”.

Every year volunteers from around the world join the team of researchers to board cargo ships for the mission and register the different species. According to Mafalda Correia the group this year includes five volunteers from Australia, Scotland, Spain and England.