A rare albino whale washed ashore on an Australian beach, however, it is not the renowned white humpback Migaloo.
There were concerns that the whale discovered on a Victoria beach was the renowned humpback Migaloo.
Saturday morning’s discovery of the whale’s body sparked fears that the beloved snow-white whale had perished.
However, a government environment officer, as reported by the Australian Associated Press, has since confirmed that the whale is a juvenile female and not the male Migaloo.
It indicates that Migaloo’s whereabouts remain a mystery.
Migaloo, believed to have been born in 1986, has not been observed off the coast of Australia for the past two years.
According to marine scientists, the whale’s location coincides with Migaloo’s migration schedule.
Peter Brick, a government officer in charge of the environment, stated, “Officers have analyzed pictures of the dead humpback whale near Mallacoota and determined that it is a sub-adult female. Migaloo is a guy.”
People have been cautioned not to touch or disturb the dead whale, and Victoria’s environment department (DELWP Victoria) has stated that anyone attempting to take illegal samples, such as teeth, may face severe penalties.
Peter Coles, a resident who was out fishing when he kayaked across to observe the dead mammal, told, “Even though it was dead, it was magnificent. It was quite remarkable. It was pure white and like marble. I believed it to be a sculpture; it appeared almost unreal.
“I measured it to be 10 meters long. I did not touch it because it was quite odorous. There were no symptoms of decomposition, yet it appeared to be dead.”
Migaloo was filmed for the first time in 2010 1.2 miles from Green Island on the Great Barrier Reef in North Queensland.
Albinism is reportedly extremely uncommon among whales.
Erich Hoyt, a research fellow at Whale and Dolphin Conservation in the United Kingdom, estimates that fewer than one in 10,000 humpback individuals will be affected.
