A Rare Sighting of Migaloo
Migaloo, the famous white humpback whale, has likely been spotted off the coast of Port Macquarie in New South Wales. The sighting was reported by dedicated whale watcher Leigh Mansfield, who is one of the few people to have seen the animal multiple times. “I’m going 90 to 95 per cent, because without getting a photo we don’t know,” he told Yahoo News.
The sighting occurred 2km offshore from Tacking Point Lighthouse at around 11.45am on Wednesday, with the whale traveling alongside another humpback. This is the first confirmed sighting of Migaloo since 2020, although credible reports emerged around New Zealand in 2025. Some experts had previously speculated that he may have died.
Why Reports of Migaloo Are ‘Serious’
Dr Vanessa Pirotta, a wildlife scientist and lecturer at Macquarie University, has been working with Mansfield for several years, cataloguing sightings. She emphasized the importance of “citizen scientists” reporting what they see off the coast of Australia.
“If this does turn out to be Migaloo or another white whale, there will be a huge amount of interest, and that will mean a conservation effort will need to take place,” she said. “Some people might think this is just light and fluffy, but this is serious.”
Dr Pirotta is referring to the high level of public interest in Migaloo and other white whales, and the need to protect them. She noted that because “these animals will be hounded for the rest of their lives,” a dedicated effort needs to be made to “manage and mitigate human interactions.”
Those with white colouring are federally protected as special interest whales, and all watercraft must keep a distance of 500 metres.
Two Key Reasons the Whale Was Almost Certainly Migaloo
Mansfield has sighted Migaloo eight times before, and since his report on Wednesday, his phone has been ringing off the hook. “I know what I’m looking at,” he said. He was unable to substantiate a potential 2023 sighting because the animal was approximately 6km out to sea. But yesterday, the whale was much closer, and he was able to observe it for around 30 minutes using strong binoculars.
“It was unreal,” he said. “People are usually up here around the headland, with big cameras, but they’d all disappeared, and I was thinking, where are you now?”
Despite not having photographic evidence to review, he has confidence it was Migaloo for two main reasons. The whale appeared completely white above the surface. Its colour changed underwater. “There are some whales out there that are 80 per cent white and then probably 20 per cent black, but he had nothing,” Mansfield said. “And when he went under the water, he had this green glow, and no other whale’s got that.”
“Hopefully someone in Coffs Harbour today, or the Gold Coast tomorrow, will take a photo and I’ll be able to go, Yes, 100 per cent that’s him.”
Why Some Suspected Sightings Were Not Confirmed as Migaloo
There are other white whales that visit Australia’s east coast, including two born in Tonga. Some reports from the public are actually of regular grey-coloured whales, breaching and showing their white bellies.
Dr Pirotta said she is taking Wednesday’s report “extremely seriously” because it was made by Mansfield, who is extremely skilled in whale watching. She was excited to see that other members of the public have since reported potential sightings.
One animal reportedly filmed with a drone off Lake Cathie on Sunday and shared to the Great Barrier Reef Legacy and Forever Reef Project social media page was not Migaloo. Separate footage taken from the shoreline near Port Macquarie was taken too far out to be sure.
Anyone who thinks they’ve spotted Migaloo is urged to either contact the volunteers at rescue service ORRCA Australia, or email [email protected].
Importance of White Whales to Science
While humpback numbers have rebounded since they were hunted to near-extinction in the 1970s, they face multiple threats, including vessel strikes, underwater noise, entanglement with fishing gear, and climate change.
Dr Pirotta said animals like Migaloo are important to science because they are easier to track, which helps improve knowledge of all whales. They also help raise awareness about humpbacks as a species and the need to protect them.
“Regardless of the science, there is so much doom and gloom at the moment, and Migaloo is just a nice story,” she said.
