Migaloo the majestic white whale is back and prettier than ever

Thar she blows!
Thar she blows!
Image: john edwards/flickr


Byron Bay woman Alison Reid was hoping to capture the magnificent mammal on camera when she booked a whale watching trip. But when he actually showed up, she was overcome with emotion, telling the ABC, "I cried. I screamed 'You gorgeous whale, thank you for being here for us today.'"

Reid had been stalking Migaloo for 20 years before the sighting and it seems like it was worth the wait: "The conditions were perfect, the sun was shining, he came over to our boat, he came under our boat, the dolphins came in, it was truly incredible," she said. 

Migaloo sightings are a big deal on the east coast, where the White Whale Research Centre keeps its cult whale following updated with sightings of Migaloo during the humpback whale migration season.  

The whale species completes its southerly migration between September and November usually, but ol' Migaloo is a celebrity and cares not for the rules.  

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Type "Migaloo" into Twitter and you'll be astounded at the amount of nation-wide fan-girling taking place as we speak. 

What's that? You need more justification as to why we're naming him the best sea-based animal ever? Ask and you shall receive. Commence the adorable facts, as provided by the White Whale Research Centre:

Fact #1: The friendly sea-giant was first photographed back in 1991, and was the only white whale on record in the world.  

Fact #2: It's not proven that he's albino. He might just be "hypo-pigmented".  

Fact #3: He's protected under Australian law and both boats and aircraft aren't allowed to get too close to him, lest his beauty blind them permanently.  

Fact #4: His name is loosely based on an Aboriginal translation of the phrase "white fella."

Fact #5: He's 30-something and has a kid called MJ (Migaloo Junior) who has the same pigmentation as him.