Experts are worried that the red spots found on the dorsal fin of a 28-year-old white whale named Migaloo might be skin cancer.
The researchers noticed the red markings after taking a look at photos shot by whale watchers near Sydney last week.
“It shows yellow pigmentation of its skin and that’s natural, that’s just an algae bloom,” White Whale Research Center founder Oskar Peterson told the Australian Associated Press. “But it’s the red rash around his dorsal fin that’s got us a bit concerned.”
“We’re just hoping that as he goes further up into warmer waters, other people send in their photos so we can ascertain whether that’s a serious issue or not.”
Peterson has been tracking Migaloo since 1996 — but this is the first time he’s seen the rosy spots.
Whale expert Professor Peter Harrison from Southern Cross University told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that the discoloration could be the early stages of cancer — or just an injury he sustained while traveling up the Australian coast.
It’s also possible that Migaloo has an infection or a simple skin growth, he said.
“There’s a lot of concern about him, that’s for sure,” the professor added.