1946-1969::Alice, the Albino Orca of Vancouver Island, British Columbia

For over twenty years, Vancouver Islanders searched the coastal waters for a white whale.

"1947::British Columbia's First Recorded Albino Orca Becomes a Vancouver Island Celebrity"

Clip: Nanaimo Daily News (1947)

Nanaimo, British Columbia

In the summer of 1946, a small and unusual pod of killer whales appeared off the southern tip of Vancouver Island, near Race Rocks. What set them apart was a young female—pure white from head to fin. Named Alice by the local media, she became the first recorded albino orca in the waters off the British Columbia coast.

"1947::Seen a White Whale Lately?"

Clip: The Vancouver Sun (1947)

Vancouver, British Columbia

Despite being half the size of an average orca, Alice’s white-as-snow body made her easy to identify wherever she appeared. Dr. G. Clifford Carl of Victoria’s provincial museum recognized the rare opportunity presented by her unique features and reached out to British Columbians for their assistance. Over the following decade, fishermen, lighthouse keepers, and beachgoers—all eager to contribute—reported their sightings, revealing that Alice and her pod appeared to circle Vancouver Island, returning again and again—sometimes twice in a single year.

"1958::Alice and Her Pod Performing Off Harling Point Near Victoria, British Columbia"

Photo Clip: Victoria Daily Times (1958)

Photographer: T.L. Sinclair

On January 19th, 1958, Alice and her pod made a memorable appearance off Harling Point in Oak Bay, just east of Victoria. Their close proximity to the shore surprised neighbourhood residents, who had gathered at the point hoping to catch a glimpse of Alice. The news spread quickly, and soon, nearly a hundred people gathered to watch the island’s favourite pod of orcas deliver a spectacular display. Alice and her companions jumped, swirled, and rolled for almost three hours, occasionally rushing the shore and stopping just a few feet from the rocks to look up at the crowd, who cheered and clapped for more. For those who saw it, it was a Vancouver Island moment they would never forget.

"1969::Alice Gone Missing"

Clip: Victoria Daily Times (1969) Victoria, British Columbia

Vancouver Islanders loved their albino whale, Alice, who had become one of the greatest marine celebrities of British Columbia (second only to Caddy the Cadborosaurus). But in 1965, Alice suddenly disappeared. Sightings of a white orca were reported in island newspapers, but the whale’s size and black dorsal fin proved it wasn’t Alice. At the same time, newspapers overseas reported that a white orca had been netted by a Russian whaling ship just off the coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands, but again, the whale’s size and description proved it wasn’t Alice. In 1969, however, Alice resurfaced near Race Rocks, where her pod first appeared in 1946. It was her last confirmed sighting in British Columbia waters.

"1970::A Second Albino Orca Is Captured in Pedder Bay"

Clip: Victoria Daily Times (1970)

Photographer: Bill Halkett

The following spring, a young albino whale and her pod were cornered and captured at Pedder Bay, just north of Race Rocks, close to where Alice’s first and last sighting had been reported. Scientists named the new albino whale Chimo and assured the public that it was not Alice they had captured, but perhaps her daughter. Sadly, Chimo survived only two years in captivity, leaving British Columbians wondering about Alice’s fate. After more than twenty years of reported sightings, Alice was never seen again in British Columbia waters.

"1970::Chimo Adjusts to Life In Captivity"

Photo Clip: Star Weekly (1970)

Toronto, Ontario

News of Chimo’s death sent shockwaves around the world and significantly altered public perception of whales in captivity. British Columbians, who had once cheered for Chimo as she performed in front of thousands of tourists, suddenly had a change of heart. They flooded the desks of local newspaper editors with letters pleading for the whales to be set free. However, it would be several more decades before their wish was granted.

"1972::Chimo's Death Brings About Change"

Clip: Victoria Times (1972)

Victoria, British Columbia

Chimo’s death also brought about new laws and protections for albino orcas. The provincial government banned the capture and captivity of albino whales in waters off the British Columbia coast not long after Chimo’s autopsy revealed that she had died from internal bleeding as a result of Chédiak–Higashi syndrome, a rare disorder characterized by bruising and oculocutaneous albinism. In 2019, Canada passed the Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act, making it illegal to capture any wild whale, dolphin, or porpoise in Canadian waters for the purpose of captivity.

Story Timeframe: 1946–1969

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