Is Migaloo an albino?

Migaloo is an adult male albino humpback, estimated to have been born in 1986 (now in his 30s). He was first spotted in 1991 when he was passing through Byron Bay, and is one of an estimated 35,000 humpback whales that migrate yearly.

How many Migaloo whale are there?

“Migaloo is a whale rock star. We all want to know about Migaloo,” she said. “Most of the whales we see in this population are a very dark colour, and there are around 40,000 or so on the east coast.

Does Migaloo have offspring?

In September 2011, an all-white humpback whale calf appeared with a normally pigmented mother. The little pale cetacean may be Migaloo’s offspring, so it has been named MJ or Migaloo Jr. 5.

Where is Migaloo the whale now?

There have been no confirmed sightings of Migaloo in the 2021 migration season, aside from one potential spotting off the Victorian coast in April. Wally Franklin, founder of the Oceania Project, said it was rare for the famous whale to pass along Australia’s east coast unnoticed.

How did Migaloo get his name?

After sharing our remarkable discovery with the public, there was an outcry to ‘name the whale’. It was decided that the naming of the whale should be done by the elders of the local aboriginal collective in Hervey Bay. Ultimately they named this animal “Migaloo” or “white fella”.

What does Migaloo mean in Aboriginal?

white fella
Migaloo means means ‘white fella’ in several Aboriginal languages. While Migaloo is almost completely white, scientists refer to him as being ‘hypopigmented’ instead of albino. Migaloo is granted extra protection than other humpback whales and vessels must keep at least a 500 metre away.

When was the last sighting of Migaloo?

The last sighting of Migaloo off Australia was in June 2020. With the annual humpback whale migration under way in 2022, there are concerns the albino whale might have met an untimely end, but experts urged whale watchers not to lose hope.

Has Migaloo been seen this year?

There haven’t been any Migaloo sightings since 2020, so it’s fantastic to see Australia’s ‘rock star’ back in action.

How old is Migaloo the white whale?

approximately 30 years old
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. This means he is approximately 30 years old today.

When was Migaloo last sighted?

13th June 2020. A white whale was sighted from Easts Beach in Kiama NSW by Gina at around 12.30pm. It’s unknown at this stage whether this is Migaloo or another all white humpback whale.

What does the name Migaloo mean?

‘Migaloo’ means ‘white fella’ in some Aboriginal languages. Despite being almost completely white, Migaloo is referred to as ‘hypopigmented’ rather than ‘albino’. Scientists say that it’s possible Migaloo is ‘leucistic,’, which refers to partial loss of pigmentation.

Who discovered Migaloo?

When was Migaloo first spotted? Migaloo was first spotted off of Cape Byron in 1991by a group of volunteers conducting a whale count.