White whale calf spotted with mother off Australia. Watch the heartwarming encounter

Moby Dick, is that you?

A white whale was recently spotted off the coast of Australia, providing onlookers with a “rare treat.”

The animal — a young southern right whale — was seen near Point Ann, a popular whale-watching area in Western Australia, according to a June 20 news release from the Parks and Wildlife Service.

The calf was accompanied by a larger whale, presumably its mother, officials said.

In videos and photos accompanying the release, the pair can be seen swimming along the surface about 65 feet from shore.

“The calf went under and around her mum multiple times, moving very slowly,” one of the onlookers told the Parks and Wildlife Service.

“We felt blessed to see them, we’re sure others would like to see them too,” they added.

Southern right whales are typically black in color, though they often have white patches, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).

However, the calf’s white coloring is “not that unusual for this species,” the Australian officials said, noting that its color may darken over time.

The whales can grow up to 56 feet long and weigh up to 176,000 pounds, according to NOAA. They’re found throughout much of the southern hemisphere, where they migrate between warmer breeding grounds in the winter and colder feeding grounds in the summer.

The species, which is labeled endangered under the Endangered Species Act, faces threats from vessel strikes, entanglements, ocean noise and habitat degradation.

This story was originally published June 21, 2024 at 11:05 AM with the headline "White whale calf spotted with mother off Australia. Watch the heartwarming encounter."