Extremely rare mature white crocodile dubbed 'Pearl' spotted in Australian river

An extremely rare mature white crocodile, dubbed Pearl, has been spotted entertaining tourists in Australia's Northern Territory.

The NT Crocodile Conservation & Protection Society reported on Facebook that staff and customers of a croc tour, Spectacular Jumping Crocodile Cruise on the Adelaide River, had spotted "stunning" Pearl on 18 November.

The society said: "Pearl is a extremely rare croc especially given her size. Most crocs with this colouring do not survive long in the wild. Pearl has particularly touched our hearts as it is highly likely she is the offspring of Michael Jackson the croc."

So-called Michael Jackson the crocodile had a black body and a white head - an "interesting look" for a crocodile, which made him popular with tourists. But Michael killed a man who entered the water to retrieve a fishing hook and was subsequently shot by authorities in August 2014, despite a campaign to save him. "Michael is gone but it's nice to know his genes live on in the river," the crocodile protection society said.

Michael and Pearl may both have had the leucistic gene, which causes a loss of pigmentation. Young white crocodiles are not uncommon, but it is more difficult for a white juvenile to avoid predators so it is rare to see bigger, more mature pale crocs in the world. The normal grey or green colour of crocodiles is much better natural camouflage.

Pearl was "jumping" for the crocodile tours, appearing to enjoy the attention, so it is believed she is likely to hang around in the Adelaide River for a while.