BARRY Brant, of the Whitsundays, has beaten 742 entrants in a competition to name the male baby white whale that was spotted off the Whitsunday coast in September.
Tourism Whitsunday and Whitsunday Escape ran the competition, during which more than 599 unique names were suggested by members of the public.
Tourism Whitsunday chief executive officer Peter O’Reilly said that choosing a name for the whale from the large number of entries had been challenging for judges due to the wide variety that had been submitted.
“Ultimately we chose Chalkie because of its double meaning – with chalk being white like the baby whale, and also there is a Chalkie’s Beach in the Whitsundays with stunning white sand near where the whale was first spotted,” Mr O’Reilly said.
Mr Brant has won a $5000 skipper yourself five-day sailing holiday, courtesy of Whitsunday Escape.
Although a number of entrants had proposed the name, it was Mr Brant who suggested it be spelt Chalkie – the same way as the beach.
Mr O’Reilly said that the whole community was hoping to see Chalkie again.
“Everyone in the Whitsundays is hoping for little Chalkie to return next year.”
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