A blue whale made a rare appearance in the Gulf of Eilat in southern Israel Tuesday. Ecologists estimated the whale to be 20 meters (65 feet) long.
The blue whale is considered the largest animal known to have ever existed. It can weigh up to 180 tons and measure up to 30 meters (98 feet), and is considered an endangered species.
Israel and the Gulf of Eilat are far removed from the whale's normal distribution areas in the North Atlantic and the Southern Hemisphere, including Antarctica.
"This is a very exciting observation," Dr. Assaf Zvuloni, an ecologist with the Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority told the Israel National News website.
"Whales sometimes travel great distances. From time to time, some individuals increase their range of migration, and there can be many reasons, such as food availability, damage to their other habitats, climate change, etc."
