Australia's Albino Humpback Whale

White Whale Migaloo Boosts Tourism Down Under

Migaloo is a humpback whale who lives predominantly off the Australian east coast. What is so special about Migaloo is that he is thought to be the only albino humpback whale in the world.

Humpback whales were once hunted to the point of extinction. Since measures have been put in place to protect the species, the worldwide population has bounced back. There are now an estimated 80,000 whales in the wild. Whale watching is a very popular tourist pastime in countries such as the United States and Australia.

Migaloo a Popular Tourist Attraction in Australia

Since Migaloo was discovered in 1991, he has created quite a stir. People want to get up close and take photos of him, which has caused Migaloo quite a bit of distress. Two state governments on the east coast of Australia where Migaloo frequents have put in a legally binding 500m exclusion zone around the whale at all times to give Migaloo some breathing space.

His name means white man in one of the local aboriginal dialects. Unfortunately, photographs have revealed that Migaloo could have skin cancer due to the pale pigmentation of his skin. A number of Australian universities and government departments are keeping an eye on the popular tourist attraction. In 2006 a baby albino whale was believed to have been sighted but reports have not since been confirmed. Until this happens or another albino whale is discovered, Migaloo is one of a kind.

Whale Watching: A Lucrative Eco-tourism Industry in Australia

Early August to mid-October each year is whale watching season along the east coast of Australia, with the most popular whale watching town and departure point being Hervey Bay in Queensland. Migaloo has been spotted in this area several times and there are quite a few companies that charter boats out to view the whales. Whale watching is now a multi-million dollar a year in industry in Australia, with state governments putting environmental policy in place to protect the animals.