A rare white humpback having a whale of a time off southern Queensland isn't the famous Migaloo, experts say.
They believe the whale is likely to be Migaloo Junior, which was named after Australia's most famous humpback.
Whale experts spent Monday trying to determine the identity of the extremely rare animal as it put on a show in waters off the Gold Coast.
White Whale Research Centre founder Oskar Peterson said the humpback in question wasn't Migaloo as it was too small and too white.
Photos taken last year showed Migaloo's skin had a yellow pigmentation.
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"It's probably Migaloo Junior," Mr Peterson told AAP.
He said there was one other known white whale but it had black spots on its tail.
Seaworld marine sciences director Trevor Long also believes the white whale capturing everyone's attention is Migaloo Junior.
"It's an animal that was first sighted in 2011 and it's been dubbed the 'Son of Migaloo'," he told ABC radio.
"Migaloo is a full adult male and this animal that we saw today is a lot smaller."
The whale is migrating from Antarctica to warmer warmers in the north, and was on Sunday seen making a splash at Hastings Point in northern NSW.
