A member of the Eastern Australian humpback whale population, Migaloo annually migrates an estimated 5,000 miles from Antarctic feeding grounds to tropical mating/breeding grounds near the Great Barrier Reef in northern Australia. His journey is similar to the migration patterns of Hawaii’s humpback whales who feed in the cool waters off Alaska and breed in Hawaii.

To track Migaloo’s annual travels, the White Whale Research Centre has established an online system that allows scientists and whale watchers log their Migaloo sightings. This database, along with annual whale counts, has helped scientists keep regular tabs on the rare whale. Since record keeping began, Migaloo has been spotted over 50 times, and whale watchers from around the world eagerly anticipate his appearance year after year.

Migaloo is currently believed to be in his early-thirties, and after hearing recordings of melodic songs in 1998 and sampling DNA in 2004, it has been officially confirmed that Migaloo is a male. Due to the amount of attention he receives for his unique appearance, Migaloo is protected under special Queensland and Commonwealth Government legislation, prohibiting vessels from approaching closer than 1,500 feet and aircrafts no lower than 2,000 feet. Fines for breaching this law (no pun intended) are $16,500.