A rare albino whale - Humpback Whale

Oleh news.sky.com

A rare albino whale, the only one of its kind in the world, has been spotted off the coast of Australia.

Migaloo surfaced every 10 to 15 minutes (Photo: Marc McCormack/The Cairns Post)

The all-white creature, known as Migaloo, which means "white fellow" in Aboriginal, was filmed 1.2 miles from Green Island near the Great Barrier Reef in North Queensland.

It is the first time the creature, which is the only known all-white humpback whale in the world, has been captured on film.

Migaloo surfaced every 10 to 15 minutes, and the footage will be used to produce a documentary to help protect him.

Photo: Marc McCormack/The Cairns Post

Great Barrier Reef Helicopter Group director Deborah Ross told the Cairns Post: "We've made it a professional goal to make sure we get Migaloo recorded so we can help protect him because he is so precious.

"This is the first time Migaloo has been filmed anywhere professionally in the world.

She added: "It's about Migaloo and it's all about the fact we were able to get the footage in Cairns on the Great Barrier Reef."

Reef Magic Cruises owner Tim North said it was a breathtaking sight: "It makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up when you’re with him."

Reef Magic worker Jenna Marino said: "He was pure snow white.

"People were amazed. They thought they were the luckiest people alive."

Around 70 passengers on board a cruise ship watched the animal in the water for more than five hours.