A huge white humpback whale was spotted on Monday by multiple whale-watching boats off Australia’s Gold Coast. It’s extremely rare to see one of these animals; only three have been identified to date.
At first, the find prompted speculation that it might be an iconic white humpback named Migaloo. This beast was first spotted in 1991, and until recently was the only known albino humpback, among a population of about 23,000 whales that pass by the Gold Coast on their way from Antarctica to warmer waters to the north.
It seems, however, that this is another whale—it appears to be slightly too small and too white to be Migaloo, several experts told Australia's AP service. They believe that the whale spotted Monday is the animal known by scientists as “Migaloo Junior,” says White Whale Research Centre founder Oskar Peterson.
Albinism is found in a wide variety of animals, and it is more common in reptiles, fish and birds than in mammals.