Australians warned to leave real-life ‘Moby Dick’ alone
Australia has placed an exclusion zone around a unique white humpback whale following its return to the continent’s waters for the first time in several years.
The whale, called Migaloo, which means “white fella” in an aboriginal dialect, has been a regular visitor to Australia’s coastline since he was first sighted as a calf in 1991 – and has a cult following Down Under.
Migaloo is believed to be albino although the cause of his unusual bright white skin has never been determined for sure.
There have been no recorded sightings of white whales other than Migaloo anywhere in the world since the start of the 20th century, although Herman Melville’s fictitious “Moby Dick” is possibly the most famous white whale of all time.
“He is absolutely unique because he is pure white,” Wally Franklin of the Southern Cross University Whale Research Centre researcher and the Oceania Project told the Cairns Post. “He is a one in 10,000 whale.”
This week wildlife officials in Queensland declared Migaloo a “special interest whale” and banned any vessel from coming within 500 meters of him out of concern that contact with boats could make him change his winter migration pattern.
In August 2003, Migaloo was also slightly wounded after hitting a sailing boat.
Meanwhile Migaloo fans in Cairns, northern Australia, are hoping the whale continues his journey up the coastline.
“I think there is a very good chance of him coming further north,” Franklin said. “We know his range has included Cairns in the past so there is a very good possibility of more sightings.”