when Herman Melville wrote the classic American novel "Moby Dick" back in 1851, he probably based the title character (a white sperm whale) on rumours of sightings of such an animal.

   well.... art imitates life, and then life imitates art.  there is a white whale, and his name is Migaloo:

   Migaloo is a male humpback whale, and has been described as "glowing in the water," due to his whiteness.  He is reputedly a pure shade of white, not an ivory white or another off-shade.  Migaloo has been sighted near the Solitary Islands off Coffs Harbour on the New South Wales mid-north coast. He is on his northerly migration from Antarctica to breeding grounds in Queensland.

   Migaloo is Aboriginal for "white fella," and he was first spotted a decade ago in these same waters.  He is believed to be about 16 years old.  telling the sex of a whale is apparently rather difficult, as there is little difference between them.  Migaloo's DNA was tested last year, and it confirmed he was male.

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