'Like a small iceberg': Rare white whale calf spotted off Australia's east coast

A rare humpback whale calf, distinguished by its striking white coloration, has been sighted off the east coast of Australia, sparking excitement among onlookers and scientists. The calf, believed to be one of only a dozen of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, was first spotted swimming alongside its mother near Cabarita Beach in New South Wales before being seen again the following day approximately 100 kilometers north at Minjerribah on Stradbroke Island.

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We saw that this calf was almost all white, so looking almost like a small iceberg floating by against the dark of the female whale.

Dr. Eva Plaganyi, a CSIRO scientist who witnessed the sighting, described the calf as looking "almost like a small iceberg floating by against the dark of the female whale." She noted that this was a "really exciting sighting and not something I've seen in my four decades of whale watching." The calf's unusual appearance is attributed to leucism, a genetic mutation that results in reduced pigmentation, unlike albinism which involves a complete lack of pigment and pink eyes.

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So really exciting sighting and not something I've seen in my four decades of whale watching.

Scientists are considering the possibility that the calf might be a descendant of Migaloo, a famous all-white humpback whale that first gained notoriety in 1991. However, definitive confirmation of a familial link or the exact cause of the genetic mutation will require genetic testing. "It can be an indicator of something happening in this environment, or it can be natural if you get the right combination of parents," explained Dr. Plaganyi.

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In order to manifest or show this colouration, it is quite a rare genetic mutation … so it is possible Migaloo fathered this particular calf or there could be another reason for this genetic mutation.

The calf, estimated to have been born this year, will likely remain with its mother for about a year as they migrate to warmer waters off Hervey Bay in Queensland. Researchers are urging the public, particularly "citizen scientists," to log any sightings of the distinctive whale. "A distinctive whale like this means all along the coast people can spot the whale and log those observations," said Dr. Plaganyi, emphasizing how such public participation is crucial for understanding whale movements and answering scientific questions.

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This one definitely makes people look twice, it is very white on top so you'd be forgiven to think the whole thing is white until you see the darker bits.