Humpback whales migration to Australia’s coasts from Antarctic waters.

Subject: Environment

Section: Biodiversity

Context:

As climate change transforms the ocean, the iconic white humpback, Migaloo has been missing for 2 years.

Migaloo:

Considered to be the most famous humpback whale in the world, Migaloo may be the only pure white adult humpback whale alive today.
Migaloo is by far one of the world’s most recognisable whales, because he is completely white.
Due to its different appearance, Migaloo has become an icon within Australia’s east coast humpback whale population.

Migaloo as a flagship whale

The annual search for Migaloo connects people with the ocean during the colder months, and is an opportunity to learn more about the important ecological role whales play in the sea.
Migaloo also represents the connection whales play between two extreme environments: the Antarctic and the tropics, both of which are vulnerable to climate change.

Factors affecting Migaloo:

Earlier this year humpbacks were removed from Australia’s list of threatened species, as populations bounced back significantly after whaling ceased.
But climate change poses a new threat, with rising sea surface temperatures may make humpback whale breeding areas too warm.
Migaloo’s presence — or lack thereof — highlights the variations in whale migration.
Environmental conditions, such as currents and water temperature, may also impact when and where Migaloo chooses to swim.
Migaloo’s presence may be driven by several factors. This includes social circumstances, such as interactions with other whales (including moving between different pods) or biological needs (the desire to head north the reproduce).
Unfortunately, Migaloo and other whales face a number of human-caused threats in the ocean every day, such as entanglement in fishing gear or collisions with ships. They also face natural threats, such as predation by killer whales.
This year’s annual migration will last until October or November, so there’s hope to see Migaloo once again.