Protection for white whale

Migaloo travels up the coast

The Australian government has given a rare white whale special protection, banning people from going anywhere near him as he swims along their coast.

The humpback has been declared a "special-interest whale", and no-one is allowed within 500m of him.

He's known as Migaloo, which means "white fella", and according to experts is the only known all-white humpback whale in the world.

It's thought Migaloo is migrating up the coast to the Great Barrier Reef.

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People have been interested in Migaloo since he was first spotted back in 1991.

"The whale-watching regulations are there to protect the whales, but also to protect people from these huge, unpredictable animals," said Queensland's Environment Minister Kate Jones.

"Adult humpbacks can weigh more than a fully-loaded semi-trailer so you need to stay out of their way," she added.