Several Port Aransans were fishing off the coast of Costa Rica on Jan. 5 when they were shocked to see a rare albino sailfish swimming next to their boat.

An unusual find COURTESY PHOTO Capt. Keith Banks of Port Aransas points at a rare albino sailfish in waters off Costa Rica Jan. 5. Banks and other Port Aransans were fishing aboard the Muy Caliente when they spotted the unusual specimen swimming near another sailfish they had hooked. The video from which this image was taken can be viewed on the South Jetty's Web site, www.portasouthjetty.com.

Kelly Owens captured images of the unusual creature on videotape. The video is on the South Jetty's web site, www. portasouthjetty.com.

Also on board the Muy Caliente that day were Capt. John Brennan, Brennan's 10-year-old son, Hank, Capt. Keith Banks and Owens' daughters, Kellie, 12 and Kendall, 8.

The group was fishing about 25 miles off Golfito, Costa Rica, when they experienced the encounter. Hank hooked a sailfish and was reeling it in close to the boat when a second sailfish swam up close too.

Click to view video

The second fish was solid white.

"Do you know what that is?" Banks exclaimed. "That's an albino sailfish! … Wow!"

The ghostly looking fish swam slowly, just beneath the surface of the cobalt-blue waters, passing within 10 feet of the boat.

When they released the hooked sailfish, the albino sailfish swam away with the released fish.

Kelly and Beth Owens own Deep Sea Headquarters in Port Aransas. They also own a fishing lodge in Golfito. The Muy Caliente formerly operated out of Deep Sea Headquarters but now operates out of Golfito.