The baby humpback whale was filmed with her mother and an escort whale. Experts fear there may be challenges ahead…
An underwater photographer has shared mesmerising footage of an all-white baby humpback whale in Vava’u, Tonga.
The swimmers from Ocean Culture Life (OCL) who shared the water with this glowing youngster were blown away by her beauty but have concerns for her future.
“Meet the rarest little wonder of the ocean: a white humpback baby whale,” says Tamsin Raine, co-founder of OCL. The all-white calf is called Mãhina, meaning ‘moon’ in Tongan.
She was first seen in August 2024 and is believed to have been born close to the islands of Vava’u, Tonga.
“Her complexion is so illuminating and glowing white she appears like a bright full moon underwater,” says tour guide and photographer Jono Allen.
OCL’s co-founder Matt Porteus shares how Allen “gently danced in the ocean, mirroring the mother whale’s movements, earning her trust.”
“The white colouration in whales is extremely rare and can be attributed to either albinism or leucism,” says OCL. Albino animals have no pigmentation while leucism causes partial pigmentation loss.
“Mãhina does not have the red eyes often seen in albino individuals, but instead striking black eyes, it’s currently unclear if she is an albino or leucistic, or otherwise,” says Allen.
He worries that the youngster’s bright colouring could attract unwanted attention from predators. “While the mother is fiercely defending Mãhina and the male escort is also doing a great job keeping her safe, her overwhelming glowing white complexion makes her very susceptible to predators,” he says.
Image credits: @MattPorteous @JonoAllen @OceanCultureLife. This remarkable event was captured in Tongan waters onboard a permitted whale swimming charter
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