Whale watchers who get too close with the famous white humpback Migaloo could be hit with stiff penalties under new protection measures. The Australian Government has declared Migaloo a "special interest" whale.

Whales will shortly begin their annual migration north to Queenslands' warm waters and the new measures will mean no one can bring a boat or jet ski closer than 500m or fly an aircraft closer than 2000ft to Migaloo without written permission, giving the albino whale more space and ensure his safety when he arrives. The maximum penalty for getting too close to Migaloo will be $16,500. The first Queensland sighting of Migaloo last year was off the Gold Coast on July 1, but he has arrived earlier in some years.

First seen in 1991, the albino whale has been seen off the Far North coast almost every year since and is set to star in a new documentary being produced by the BBC.

Speculation about Migaloo's gender was resolved in October 2004 when researchers from Southern Cross University collected sloughed skin samples from Migaloo as he migrated past Lennox Head, and subsequent genetic analysis of the samples proved he is a male.

Protection for other humpbacks in the area is also imposed as Whale watchers must stay at least 300m away from all other whales.