It may seem straight out of Moby Dick, but a rare white whale is
thrilling Australians off the eastern coast. The albino humpback
has been nicknamed "Migaloo" by researchers who track his
movements. Albino whales are rare and Migaloo is the only
documented all-white humpback adult, according to Peter
Harrison, director of marine ecology research at Southern Cross
University in Australia. Migaloo was first seen in 1991 when he
was a juvenile, Harrison says, and researchers believe he is now
in his 20s. The humpbacks are on their annual migration from
their breeding grounds along the Great Barrier Reef back to feed
in the Antarctic. "Everyone here is quite excited," says Oskar
Peterson, who runs a website that tracks sightings of white
whales around the globe. "We see him almost every year now, but
it's still front page news when he turns up." Migaloo is
expected to pass by Cape Byron, the easternmost point in
Australia, in the coming hours after passing by Surfer's
Paradise, Peterson says. Spotters of the whal