Visitors to Eilat, Israel on the northern tip of the Red Sea were treated to a rare sight recently when a 65-foot blue whale was spotted close to shore.
A team of marine biologists working on an unrelated project in the Gulf of Eilat took underwater photos and video footage of the massive marine mammal and were totally taken by surprise as Israel and the Gulf of Eilat are far from the whale’s distribution area in the North Atlantic and the Southern Hemisphere, including Antarctica.
Eilat’s beaches and coral reef make it a popular destination for domestic and international tourism; swimmers and vessel operators have been asked to keep their distance from the blue whale if they spot it.
Photo Credit: Nature and Parks Authority
