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Recently, a group of tourists on a National Geographic "Journey to Antarctica" cruise spotted a rare spectacle: a blonde penguin.
The uniquely colored little guy was spotted near the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica, according to naturalist, David Stephens, of the Lindblad Expeditions cruise company.
But make no mistake, a 'blonde' penguin, is not an albino penguin. It's actually the result of "isabellinism."
Isabellinism is a form of leucism caused by a uniform deficiency of melanin, which manifests itself most noticeably in an animal's pigmentation. The result is a brownish-blonde, or "isabelline" colored coat.
But that's not the only thing that made spotting this little blonde stud so "astonishing" for Stephens and company.
There have been less recorded sightings of "isabelline" animals than albino animals, so as far as science is concerned, this little guy is even more rare than your everyday albino.
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