Whale Watching on Passions and "Migaloo" The Infamous White Whale

While on Passions, one of the numerous cool things you will experience nearly every single time you go out is whale sightings. Currently, it is Humpback Whale Season in Cairns (June - September) and I have yet to go out on Passions and have a "whale-less" day. At the moment, they are migrating between sub-Antarctic Waters. They spend time at the Great Barrier Reef where they can give births to their calves safely in the coral away from danger. A sighting of a humpback is absolutely breathtaking. They can reach up to 15 meters and absolutely love to breach their enormous bodies from the water. While I have not been lucky enough to capture a picture of a humpback breaching, they love to stick their tails out of the water and it seems even show off a little.

Likewise, from May to September it is the season for Dwarfe Minke Whales. While I do not have any live footage of these whales, they are a smaller baleen whale (6 - 8 meters). These whales are rare and are only seen about 200 times per year on the Great Barrier Reef. 

Currently in the media, there is a great deal of interest focused on "Migaloo", the infamous all - white humpback whale. With the most recent sighting at Cape Flattery (about 220 km north of Cairns), excitement is building for a possible photograph of the humpback. The first sighting of Migaloo was in June 1991 at Byron Bay. Since then, the sighting of this unique whale is thought to be truly extraordinary. 


Migaloo is a male humpback whale. Researchers have theorized Migaloo is an albino whale but with not enough evidence, he is a "hypo-pigmented white humpback" for the moment.  After being struck by a trimaran in 2003, Migaloo has received a great deal of attention from Queensland government to ensure he is protected from any form of harassment. This law was enacted to keep all vessels away (within 500 M) and all aircrafts (within 2000 feet). If any vessels or aircrafts are to breach these laws, the fine is a grand total of $16,500.

While seeing Migaloo is quite rare, it is not unheard of. With the gorgeous whale in the area as we speak, it is possible to see him while out on Passions. So come out and enjoy - you'll likely see a breaching humpback (whether albino or not... it's cool, I promise!)


Cheers,
Leah