Incredibly rare albino whale spotted off coast of Australia. Watch it swim

As November brings fall colors and cooler air for the northern hemisphere, the other half of the planet is celebrating the end of spring and launching into summer.

On the east coast of Australia, the change in season also brings ocean giants to their waters on a grand quest.

Humpback whales complete a massive migration between the months of May and November, first working their way north from Antarctica to mate and give birth in the warmer water, then traveling back south for the second half of their journey.

One young female whale was spotted on video making her way up Australia’s southeastern coast, but she wasn’t like any of the other whales.

She is white.

“A rare white humpback whale on the (New South Wales) Coast!” the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service said in the caption of a Nov. 7 Facebook video.

“This juvenile female is only the second true albino humpback whale documented in the East Coast population, and it’s a real treat to have this unique and special visitor passing along our coastline,” wildlife officials say.

Being a rare whale, she requires additional protections, according to the post.

Any boats in the area, including personal crafts like kayaks and surfboards, are required to stay at least 1,640 feet away, and any drones capturing video or images have to stay 328 feet away, and drone operators are instructed to approach the animal from behind.

“Let’s all give her a warm welcome by giving plenty of space,” wildlife officials said.

Albinism means that the animal doesn’t have the ability to create color pigment, whether that be in skin, hair, feathers, scales or eyes. The animals therefore typically appear white, or with a slightly pink coloration particularly in the eyes, according to Purdue University.

The mutation is recessive, meaning it comes from both parents. It occurs anywhere from 1 in 20,000 to 1 in a million in animals, and typically makes an animal more of a target to predators, meaning they have a lower chance of survival, the university says.

Humpback whales are no longer endangered, thanks to protections like the moratorium on commercial whaling that began in 1985, but an albino whale is incredibly rare.

New South Wales is a state on the southeastern coast of Australia.

Irene Wright

McClatchy DC

Irene Wright is a McClatchy Real-Time reporter. She earned a B.A. in ecology and an M.A. in health and medical journalism from the University of Georgia and is now based in Atlanta. Irene previously worked as a business reporter at The Dallas Morning News.