Finding the White Whale

What comes to mind when you hear the words white whale? Perhaps the infamous Moby Dick — mythical, wonderous, and dramatic. A creature of legend and superstition, inspiring stories of seafaring glory and doom. Or perhaps you picture a more recent and real encounter, like Migaloo, the world-famous all-white humpback last sighted off Port Macquarie in June 2020. The whispers of a white whale ignite the imagination. They feel like unicorns of the sea — something beautiful, almost mythical, and so rare that seeing one feels like a dream.

This year, on the 5th of November, those whispers became much louder. Reports began appearing along the New South Wales coast of a sighting off South Durras. For whale watchers, that kind of news sends adrenaline running immediately. We kept a close eye on social media channels and coastal sightings pages, excited by the possibility. Could it really be true?

Just two days later, on the 7th of November, we returned from our first trip of the day to growing chatter online. Another confirmed sighting, this time much closer to Sydney. A young white whale was making her way toward Botany Bay. NSW Parks and Wildlife, along with our friends at ORRCA marine mammal rescue, confirmed the reports. It was a female juvenile humpback, born last year in Tonga. Her name is Siale.

Siale, named after the fragrant white flowers found in Tonga, was first sighted with her mother during last year’s migration. She is one of only two all-white calves recorded that season, but what makes her truly remarkable is that she is believed to be a true albino. Albinism in humpback whales is exceptionally rare, occurring only once in roughly 40,000 births. Leucistic whales may also appear white, but they still have dark eyes, whereas true albinism results in an all-white body and red or pink eyes, just like in other species.

For our final cruise of the day, we received word from ORRCA that Siale was approaching Botany Bay and hugging the cliffs — a rare chance to try for a sighting. Botany is further south than we would normally travel on a two-hour trip, and the weather was not in our favour. Grey skies and building wind didn’t matter. This would be a once-in-a-lifetime moment. We loaded around forty passengers onto Ocean Dreaming II, left the harbour at full speed, kept a careful eye on fuel, and scanned every inch of horizon for whale activity.

As we neared the entrance to the bay, we slowed right down to wait. We were roughly a kilometre off the cliffs, giving the young whale more space than usual, and with NSW Parks and Wildlife watching from the headlands, we knew every move was monitored. We had ORRCA on the phone and coordinated our position carefully.

It wasn’t long before we were rewarded. Barely breaking the surface, a flash of white appeared in the distance, followed by a small puff of breath. From the top deck of ODII we could just make out a sliver of white skin as the young whale surfaced. She was headed north, surfacing only briefly. We held our breath as she crossed the entrance to Botany Bay, hoping she wouldn’t venture into the harbour. After what felt like the longest downtime, she reappeared safely on the other side. A big relief.

We began to track her along the coastline, maintaining a safe distance at all times. Each time she surfaced, we saw a bright turquoise glow beneath the water as her pale skin reflected the light. Cameras clicked the moment she broke the surface. The boat fell silent, everyone watching in awe. Although we stayed at the legal 500 metre approach limit, like many young humpbacks, she eventually began to show curiosity.

We were beyond excited as she drifted closer, her pristine white form just metres below the surface. She stayed around the 300 metre mark, and our skipper Tommy immediately switched to neutral so there was no risk of injury if she approached further. Then, in one perfect moment, Siale spy-hopped — lifting her head above the surface to look directly at us — before rolling and lifting her long white pectoral fins above the water, almost as if waving hello.

It is impossible to say exactly why whales choose certain behaviours, but after hundreds of encounters, you begin to read their attitudes. She seemed relaxed, casual, and content, as if she were simply enjoying her journey north and wanted us to know she was there. It was a moment that left us all speechless.

Eventually, Siale continued on her way. Our fuel gauges were dropping and we still had a long ride back to Circular Quay. We would have stayed until sunset if we could. Naturally, just as we lost sight of her, reports came from the cliffs that she had begun breaching. Witnessing that would have been incredible, but even without it, seeing one of the world’s only white whales approach us of her own curiosity was truly a highlight of the season. Many of our crew said it was the most memorable moment in more than a decade of whale watching.

Siale was last sighted off Catherine Hill on the 8th of November, still heading north. She is young, beautiful, and vulnerable. Everything must be done to protect her. She is currently travelling in the opposite direction to where she should be heading at this time of year, and we hope she finds food and perhaps another pod who can guide her.

We hope this beautiful whale continues her journey safely and graces us with her presence again in years to come. Thank you for stopping by, Siale. If you are lucky enough to encounter her, please report the sighting to ORRCA on the 24-hour hotline: +61 9415 3333.