Rare White Whale 'Migaloo' Sighted Off Australia
Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published July 26, 2016 | 01:23 PM
SYDNEY, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th july,2016) - An extremely rare white humpback whale was Tuesday spotted off the Australian coast as he migrates towards warmer tropical waters to mate. The albino is widely believed to be Migaloo, the world's best-known all-white humpback who has built up a loyal following in Australia since first being sighted in 1991. Migaloo is an Aboriginal word meaning "whitefella". He was seen and photographed off Byron Bay on Australia's east coast, heading north on his annual migration from Antarctica to warmer waters in Queensland state. "I cried.
I screamed 'You gorgeous whale, thank you for being here for us today'," Alison Reid, who saw Migaloo on a whale watching cruise, told national radio.
"He's amazing. It was just an incredible sight, it was so unreal." Oskar Peterson, who runs the Australian-based White Whale Research Centre, said a study by Southern Cross University in 2004, which managed to get skin samples from the whale, had shown Migaloo was male.
He was now believed to be around 30 years old. The whale is expected to gradually make his way as far north as Cooktown in the Australian tropics before the return trip to Antarctica later in the year. Australia's east coast humpback population has been brought back from the brink of extinction following the halting of whaling in the early 1960s.
However, there are believed to be only two or three white humpbacks in the world.
Recent Stories
Rock-solid Ruud racks up season-leading win in Barcelona
At UN, Iran says it will make Israel 'regret' reprisals
G7 hears calls for 'critical' Ukraine aid
EU seeks to leverage might to confront China, US challenge
5 Customs officials martyred as their vehicle ambushed by terrorists in D I Khan
Pak-New Zealand match called off due to rain
NHA restores traffic on roads affected by recent rains in Balochistan
China to fully support Pakistan's efforts against terrorism: Ambassador Jiang
U.S. envoy calls on Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar
Poland arrests man over suspected plan to kill Zelensky
EU wants to ease youth movement to and from UK
Police foils attempt of supply mainpuri raw material
More Stories From World
-
At G7, Blinken seeks European support for pressure on China
5 hours ago -
Thousands of Bosnian Serbs rally against UN resolution on Srebrenica
5 hours ago -
Israel assault has turned Gaza into 'humanitarian hellscape': UN
5 hours ago -
Husband of ex-Scottish leader charged over alleged embezzlement: police
5 hours ago -
Ecuador hit by power cuts of up to 13 hours amid drought
6 hours ago -
Hugs or bullets? How Mexico presidential rivals aim to curb violence
6 hours ago
-
Kenya military chopper crash kills defence chief, senior officers
6 hours ago -
Biden hails 'incredible' Kennedy family backing against RFK Jr.
7 hours ago -
Maldives court frees jailed ex-president ahead of vote
7 hours ago -
Probe into Portugal ex-PM Costa appears to collapse
7 hours ago -
Jury selection stalls in Trump criminal trial
7 hours ago -
At UN, Iran says it will make Israel 'regret' reprisals
7 hours ago