Migaloo, white humpback whale, back off Australia

This video is called Migaloo – White Humpback Whale on the Great Barrier Reef.

From Wildlife Extra, about Australia:

Albino Humpback spotted off Queensland

Migaloo, the white Humpback whale, has been seen off Fraser Island – Courtesy of Cairns.com.au

June 2011. Migaloo -A Humpback whale that is bigger than a truck and iridescent white – has returned to Queensland’s waters. He has joined a record number of Humpbacks making their annual migration to the warm Reef water from Antarctica.

Oskar Peterson, founder of the Gold Coast-based White Whale Research Centre, believes the whale’s early appearance in Queensland waters may be a result of flooding on the mid-north coast of NSW.

“He’s probably avoided all of the coastal areas of New South Wales because of the rain,” he said. “He doesn’t like freshwater run-off – most whales don’t.”

13,500 Humpbacks

There are estimates that at least 13,500 whales will head north this year, with the first Humpbacks of the season seen by dive boats off Cairns late May.

First seen in 1991

Greg Kaufman, from the Pacific Whale Foundation, was amongst the group that first spotted Migaloo off the coast of Byron Bay in 1991 and took a photo of the famed Humpback. Aboriginal elders named him Migaloo – meaning “White Fella’.

The big fella was first seen off Snapper Island by a fishing boat and word quickly spread.

Click here to go to the original story on Cairns.com.au, or click here to go to their photo gallery of Migaloo.

From the White Whale Research Centre in Australia:

This website is about raising awareness on humpback whales in particular Migaloo & Bahloo the two white whales. Migaloo was once thought to be an Albino Whale but for the moment he is known as a “hypo-pigmented” humpback. Little is known about Bahloo except recent photos that show he or she has small black spots on the tail which confirms it is not Migaloo.

The White Whale Research Centre can now officially confirm there are two White Whales that cruise along the east coast of Australia each year. Migaloo is cruising up the Queensland coast and has just past Fraser Island heading north towards Cairns and beyond. Read (Sightings Log) for details.

PLEASE NOTE: Because Migaloo & Bahloo are such unique whales they have special Queensland & Commonwealth Government legislation that is enacted each year to protect them from harassment. For this reason all vessels including Jet-skis are prohibited from approaching Migaloo & Bahloo no closer than 500m and Aircraft no lower then 2000 feet. The Fine for breaching this law is $16,500.00.

A very rare (and very cute) white humpback whale calf has turned up off the Sydney coast, delighting onlookers with splashes, leaps and all manner of cetacean high-jinks: here.

Rare white whale Migaloo and another white whale migrate north from Antarctic waters: here.

Humpback whales catch prey with bubble-nets: here.

June 2011. A report released by WDCS, in association with the Born Free Foundation and ENDCAP reveals that dolphinaria, and the Member States that license them, are failing to meet the requirements of European Union (EU) legislation which aims to protect whales and dolphins in captivity: here.

July 2011. Around 40 sightseers aboard a Paignton Pleasure Cruises boat were treated to a rare and wonderful sight when a sperm whale was spotted off the coast of Devon near Brixham on Saturday July 9: here.

Scotland: September 2011. A Sperm whale, the largest predator on the planet, was sighted in the Sound of Raasay by local man Calum MacAskill and his wife: here.

This is another whale video.

US judge to sentence artist in black-market Sperm whale ivory case: here.

Rare sighting of sperm whale made off Palos Verdes Peninsula: here.

Fraser Island’s magnificent colours have been captured in this video, including time lapse photography: here.