Tailless Humpback Makes 12,500 Mile Journey

Stumped ... whale experts are surprised that "Stumpy," a humpback whale with no tail, has made a 12,500 mile journey from the Antarctica to Australia. The whale, nicknamed Stumpy, was today sighted playing off Queensland's Sunshine Coast by whale watchers aboard the Australia Zoo boat "Steve's Whale One."

The boat's skipper Allan Short said he last saw the disfigured whale as a yearling in Hervey Bay in 2001. Scratch marks on its side indicate it was injured in a killer whale attack, Mr Short said.

"When we first saw Stumpy in Hervey Bay in 2001 we thought for sure he wouldn't survive without his tail," he said. "It's a 12,500 mile return journey when they migrate and that is an amazing feat for a whale without a tail. He appeared healthy as he played alongside other whales."

Each year, humpback whales pass along Queensland's southern coast as they migrate between Antarctica and warmer tropical waters.