Rare 1-in-40,000 white humpback whale calf photographed for the first time in Tonga wins prestigious nature photo competition

Underwater image of a mother humpback whale and her calf. The mother is dark with white patterns, and the calf is light-colored.

Australian photographer Jono Allen has captured what many may never see in a lifetime: a white humpback whale calf – an animal born with a lack of pigmentation so rare it occurs in just 1 in 40,000 births.

Captured in the tropical waters of Vava'u, Tonga, the calf – named Mãhina, meaning "moon" – now secured Allen the overall win of the prestigious World Nature Photographer of the Year competition.