A group of false killer whales made a rare visit to the Gulf of Eilat over the weekend, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority said, adding that the event occurs every few years for a short period of time.
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Omri Amosi, the authority's maritime ranger, even had a chance to swim with the pod.
"For about an hour I followed the whales, there were about ten of them. I kept a distance of about a hundred meters from the group and sailed along with them. But much to my surprise, they approached my boat," he described. "They swam leisurely and showed a lot of interest in me. At some point I stopped the motorcycle and turned off the engine, the pod stayed around me and I could hear countless sonar clicks."
Video: Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Omri Amosi
"I got into the water with a camera and got surrounded by the whales. At no point did I feel uncomfortable, because these are wild animals that don't usually show interest in humans. I eventually got back on the boat and continued south. The pod continued to sail alongside me throughout the voyage, and I saw them converging into a dense crowd and thus crossing the border into Egypt."
The false killer whale is a species of oceanic dolphin mainly found in tropical regions. It can reach as much as six meters and got its name due to having a skull similar to the orca, or the killer whale.
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