The discovery of a white whale carcass on a beach in far-east Victoria sparked fears for Migaloo, the elusive humpback who hasn't been spotted in two years.
But wildlife officers now say an analysis of images shows that it's not the iconic whale.
"DELWP Officers have examined images of the dead Humpback Whale at Mallacoota and have confirmed it is a sub-adult female. Migaloo is a male," Victoria's Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Regional Agency Commander Peter Bick said.
The case of mistaken identity isn't all that surprising.
While some 35,000 humpback whales migrate along the east coast of Australia each year, Migaloo is one of just a handful of known white humpback whales worldwide — and the most famous.
Here's what you need to know.
Who is Migaloo?
It's not hard to understand how Migaloo — meaning "white fella" in some Indigenous languages — earned his moniker.
First discovered in 1991 off Byron Bay, the humpback's albino appearance is the result of a variation in the gene responsible for the colour of his skin.
While it's attracted the attention of whale watchers across the globe, the condition has been associated with reduced heat absorption in colder waters, increased conspicuousness to predators, increased eye and skin sensitivity and visual impairment.
Despite this, the 40-tonne, 15-metre humpback whale made it to adulthood and is believed to be aged in his 30s.
Migaloo is protected under Queensland and Commonwealth government legislation, prohibiting boats from being within 500 metres of him.
Are there other white humpback whales?
While Migaloo is one of the world's most recognisable whales, he's not alone.
There are three to four other known white humpback whales, including Bahloo, Willow and Migaloo Junior (although it's unclear if they are related).
Unlike Migaloo, however, these animals have some black spots on their body, leading researchers to believe they have a condition called leucism, or hypo-pigmentation.
Is it Migaloo? The answer is no
While there were initially concerns for Migaloo's welfare, officers from Victoria's Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning [DELWP] said analysis of images of the carcass show that it is not the same whale.
"DELWP and Parks Victoria staff will be further assessing the carcass over coming days."
DELWP said it was an offence for people or their dogs to be within 300 metres of a beached whale, and the animals were protected under the Wildlife Act whether they were alive or dead.
Scientists will still conduct genetic testing to confirm the whale is not Migaloo
Has this happened before?
Similar concerns were sparked back in 2011, when the carcass of a white whale was discovered off Palm Island, near Townsville.
But after viewing photos and video footage, the Whale Research Centre found the humpback had some black markings and was not the same animal.
At the time, researchers noted that whales go belly up when they die, and as they are white underneath, some may mistake them for the iconic whale.
