'Moby' the White Whale Sighted Off Australia
Date: 14-Jul-03
Country: AUSTALIA
The white humpback has delighted hundreds of whale watchers who have paid charter boats to watch as it breached and leisurely swam off Queensland state's Gold Coast tourist mecca over the past two days.
Diver Gary Philpot captured extraordinary images, broadcast on national television last week, as he swam close by the whale. "It was the most incredible thing I've ever experienced. This thing was just like a huge white submarine," Philpot told Ten Network television.
But Philpot's frolic with the 46-foot whale prompted reminders from state authorities about laws which carry fines of up to $5,921 for people who come within 328 yards of a whale.
"The white humpback whale which has been the focus of attention over the past 24 hours is a fascinating creature but may need to be protected to some extent from an over-abundance of interest," Queensland Environment Minister Dean Wells said.
Many locals have nicknamed the whale "Moby," after Herman Melville's famed 1851 novel about a sea captain obsessed with a white whale. Melville's Moby Dick was a sperm whale rather than a humpback.
Local media also reported that one Aboriginal elder had called whale "migaloo," or "white feller."
Whale researchers said the white whale had been seen many times off the coast of Queensland and New South Wales since 1991.
They said it was not possible to tell yet whether the whale was an albino or just had unusually extensive white markings.
There was also some speculation that "Moby Dick" might actually be "Moby Dora."
"She was like a stage actress," local whale watcher Wayne Marsh said.
Up to 5,000 humpbacks migrate north up Australia's east coast between April and August each year from feeding grounds in the Antarctic to feed and breed in warm tropical waters.