By Amanda Froelich Truth Theory
Jump, Migaloo! In recent months, we’ve seen photographs of white giraffes and even a white moose. Now, footage has been shared of a rare white humpback whale, and nature enthusiasts can’t contain their excitement. The whale, named Migaloo (after the Aboriginal word meaning “white man”), was recently spotted off the coast of Sydney, Australia. And, he is just as majestic as many remember.
Migaloo was first spotted in 1990 and is believed to be around 30 years old. As National Geographic reports, it is unknown whether or not he has leucism (a condition which results in white or patchy skin, but the eyes remain dark) or is a true albino, meaning he doesn’t produce any pigment at all.
The video (below) was captured by Whale Watching Sydney photographer Jonas Liebschner, who had been patiently waiting for Migaloo all week.
According to Brian Clark Howard in National Geographic, three white males — including Migaloo — have been spotted off Australia in recent years. He wrote, “One has been dubbed Migaloo Junior’ or the ‘son of Migaloo’ – although no one knows whether this smaller whale is actually related to Migaloo. A third white humpback with black spots on its tail has also been spotted.”
Due to commercial whaling, humpback whales were once close to extinction. A mere 100 remained in the oceans. Since legal protections were put in place, however, their numbers have recovered. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says there are approximately 20,000 humpback whales that migrate to Australia each year. Fortunately, Migaloo remains one of them.
Images via Earth Touch News Network, Australian Geographic
Image Credit: Craig Parry / diimex.com
THIS ARTICLE IS OFFERED UNDER CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE. IT’S OKAY TO REPUBLISH IT ANYWHERE AS LONG AS ATTRIBUTION BIO IS INCLUDED AND ALL LINKS REMAIN INTACT.
Comments
Beautiful Video
.