Whale spotted off Israel's coast, washes ashore lifeless hours later

A large sperm whale was spotted early Monday morning around 500 meters off the coast of Ga'ash Beach, just north of Herzilya, according to Israel's Nature and Parks Authority. However, the body of this giant whale was found along the shoreline of the Sharon Coast Reserve just two hours later.

Harel Bez, inspector of the marine unit at the Nature and Parks Authority, said: "We jumped to the scene as soon as we received the report. It was sad to see the sperm whale washed up dead on the beach. From an inspection in the field, it appears that the whale was about ten meters long."

In Israel, seven bodies of whales of the Rajasthan classification were recorded as washing up ashore, including the whale that washed up Monday morning, according to Dr. Mia Elser of the Delphis Association.

Endangered species

Whale populations worldwide have quickly dwindled, as many people hunted whales throughout the 20th century. Now, they are one of the most protected species in the world.

According to Dr. Aviad Sheinin of Delphis, from the Maurice Kahn Marine Research Station of the University of Haifa: "In recent years, we have witnessed more sightings of sharks than before. All this evidence indicates that this species is found in the eastern Mediterranean and in the waters of Israel's exclusive economic zone in the deep sea." 

If you find a wild animal injured or in distress, report it to the hotline of the Nature and Parks Authority *3639and the Delphis website https://www.delphis.ngo/reporting