WHALE watchers were treated to a rare glimpse of majestic Migaloo as he continued his southern migration past Port Macquarie on July 29.
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The rare white whale put on a show for boat crews off Port Macquarie for several hours after being first spotted earlier in the morning.
The adult male whale is a unique rarity for scientists and coastal photographers alike, and is celebrating his 30th birthday this year.
Migaloo was first spotted in 1991 passing through Byron Bay as the only known white whale in the world, and was thought to be three to five years old at the time.
There are around three other known white humpback whales named Bahloo, Willow and Migaloo Jnr.
Dr Wally Franklin, an adjunct fellow at Southern Cross University and founding director of The Oceania Project said Migaloo is utterly distinctive and scientifically valuable.
"We are always on the lookout for reports of his movements," said Dr Franklin.
"In the last couple of sightings we've had reports initially from New Zealand that he was passing through Cook Strait, and then he turns up on the east coast.
"This year he is 30 years old so he is now well and truly fully grown and fully mature.
"He's mature socially and physically.
"It doesn't appear that he has had any issues with predators and he has an expectation to living as long as 100 years, which is the generally-believed life expectancy.
"Reports of his sightings have been available for just about every year of his life and so he has been very useful in cataloguing whale movements.
"Those sightings are very valuable in confirming migratory timing."
Meanwhile, whale rescuers spotted an entangled whale off Port Macquarie on July 29.
A spokesperson for the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) said the whale was entangled in about five fishing nets and was not likely to survive.
