“What the heck is that?”
Wildlife photographer Dennis Jackson set out on a casual fishing trip with a friend in Ontario, Canada, expecting a quiet day on the water. But what started as a relaxing outing soon turned into an extraordinary encounter.
“I looked across the bay and saw something white moving through the water,” Jackson told The Dodo. “I thought, ‘What on earth is that?’”
At first, Jackson tried to guess what the mysterious swimmer could be. It was too small to be a swan and didn’t match the shape of a seagull. As the pair paddled closer, the truth revealed itself — it was a beaver, but unlike any beaver Jackson had ever seen. This one had snowy white fur.
“When we realized what it was, we both got chills,” Jackson recalled. “You just don’t expect to see something like that in your lifetime.”
Though Jackson is a professional wildlife photographer, he hadn’t brought his full camera kit along for the fishing trip. Still, he managed to snap a few quick photos and videos on his phone as the rare beaver swam around their boat, occasionally circling before heading off into the reeds.
A few days later, Jackson returned to the same spot with his proper gear, hoping the animal might reappear. To his delight, the pale beaver was still there, calmly swimming through the marsh. He captured clear photos and videos, noting that its unusual coloring didn’t seem to affect its behavior or how it interacted with other beavers.
Curious about the animal’s condition, Jackson consulted Canadian naturalist Michael Runtz. After reviewing the photos, Runtz concluded that the beaver wasn’t an albino but leucistic — a genetic condition that causes a partial loss of pigment. The dark eyes and feet gave it away.
“[Runtz] said that in all his years as a professor at Carleton University, he’s never seen a white animal that large,” Jackson said.
Knowing how rare such an animal is, Jackson has chosen not to reveal the location of the marsh, wanting to keep the beaver safe from unwanted attention.
Beavers are a common sight in Ontario, but this extraordinary encounter left Jackson feeling inspired.
“It reminded me how much there is still to discover,” he said. “It’s made me more curious about the world around me.”