A whale that washed up dead on a beach in Victoria’s far east is not the famed albino humpback Migaloo, authorities have confirmed.
The white carcass was found at a Mallacoota beach in the state’s East Gippsland region, near the NSW border, and is only accessible by water.
Victoria’s environment department has allayed fears it is Migaloo, who has not been spotted for two years after losing his tracking chip.
“DELWP Officers have examined images of the dead humpback whale at Mallacoota and have confirmed it is a sub-adult female. Migaloo is a male,” Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning regional agency commander Peter Brick said on Sunday.
“DELWP and Parks Victoria staff will be further assessing the carcass over coming days.
“I urge anyone in the area not to approach within 300 metres of the carcass.”
The famous white humpback was first sighted in 1991 off Byron Bay, when he was believed to be between three and five years old.
He was dubbed Migaloo, an indigenous word for white person.
Macquarie University wildlife scientist Vanessa Pirotta says photos showing a dark patch of skin under barnacles on the throat was another sign the whale is not Migaloo.
“It seems to be most likely a white whale or at least a whale that has been a darker pigmentation that potentially has passed out at sea and washed ashore and been weathered over time,” she told ABC TV on Sunday.
“When you can see the barnacles attached to that black area there, that indicates that was external skin because we have barnacles on the outer layer of these animals.”
Dr Pirotta similarly warned the public to stay away from the whale carcass as it could carry a number of diseases.
“If you have an animal like this on a beach, 40,000 kilograms potentially of blubber and whale, that could naturally as it decomposing leak juices into the area which would bring upon other animals that are part of the natural ecosystem, like sharks,” she said.
© AAP 2022
