Migaloo Junior does have one small black dot on the dorsal surface of his left fluke, meaning this whale likely has a condition called leucism instead of albinism. This whale became known as Migaloo Junior, however this whale is not known to be the offspring of Migaloo – they may or may not be related and only genetic tests could confirm this. In 2011, a nearly all white humpback whale calf was sighted in the Whitsundays. However, a 2011 study of his DNA by researchers at the Australian Marine Mammal Centre found a genetic variation leading to albinism confirming that Migaloo is a true albino. In the past he has been called the more conservative terms “all-white”, or “hypo- pigmented”. Scientists were initially hesitant to state Migaloo has albinism because his eyes are brown, rather than the typical red or pink. He has been observed in New Zealand waters but primarily off east Australia migrating as far north as Cooktown and south past Sydney. This means he is approximately 30 years old today. In 1991, the year Migaloo was first sighted researchers estimated his age to be about 3 to 5 years old based on his size at that time. These whales migrate along the east coast of Australia, to breed in the warm tropical waters near the Great Barrier Reef during the months of June – October, which is considered winter and spring in that part of the world. Migaloo is a part of a population of humpback whales that feed in Antarctica during the months of November – May, which are summer and fall in the Southern Hemisphere. They should be honored with reverence and respect, not discrimination and shame. The elders explained their connection to all white or albino animals and that they appear on earth to be respected and revered that their unique color demonstrates the need to respect all forms of life even if they appear different than ‘normal’. Ultimately they named this animal “Migaloo” or “white fella”. It was decided that the naming of the whale should be done by the elders of the local aboriginal collective in Hervey Bay. The obvious characteristic is that he is all white, but we use other physical traits as well: his dorsal fin (on his back) is slightly hooked and his tail flukes have a distinctive shape, with spiked edges along the lower trailing side.Īfter sharing our remarkable discovery with the public, there was an outcry to ‘name the whale’. There are a number of ways in which scientists identify Migaloo. Genetic testing in 2004 by Southern Cross University scientists further confirmed that Migaloo is a male this confirmed what we knew because Migaloo has been recorded singing and only male humpback whales produce song. During this encounter we were able confirm the whale was all white and in 1998, we recorded the whale singing, a trait distinct to male humpback whales. In 1993 Pacific Whale Foundation researchers encountered this amazing white whale in Hervey Bay, Queensland. It was blurry and unclear if he was all white. The first photograph of Migaloo was taken through a telescope from a distance of over 5 km away. This remarkable whale was first spotted in 1991 off Byron Bay, Queensland by a group of volunteers conducting a whale count. Considered to be the most famous humpback whale in the world, Migaloo may be the only pure white adult humpback whale alive today.
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