Life

Watch This Rare White Whale Pop Out Of The Ocean

by Lara Rutherford-Morrison

On Monday, whale watchers were treated to the sight of a rare white humpback whale swimming off the coast of Queensland, Australia. One of only three white humpbacks known to swim in the ocean near Australia, the whale appears beautiful and ghostly as it slips through the waves in photos and videos taken by onlookers. Initially, there was some debate as to the identity of the whale, with some people speculating that it might be Migaloo, a famous albino humpback first spotted in Australian waters in 1991. Further investigation has proven that the whale in today’s sighting was not Migaloo, who is at least 28, but rather a much younger whale known as “Migaloo Jr.” or “MJ.” According to 7 News, MJ was first sighted in 2011, and the whale’s sex has yet to be determined. MJ, estimated to be 8 years old, may not be the famous Migaloo, but the whale is still strikingly majestic.

Approximately 23 thousand whales migrate through the Gold Coast (a region on the east coast of Australia) every year. For two decades, Migaloo was thought to be the only white while of the lot, until MJ, then a calf, showed up in 2011. There are now three known white whales, though Migaloo is the only one researchers know for certain to be albino.

Queensland’s 7 News caught MJ via helicopter:

James Chambers filmed the whale from a further distance:

Images: 7 News Queensland/Twitter; YouTube