Blue whale spotted in Red Sea. First time!

For the first time a blue whale has been spotted in the Red Sea! Seeing a whale in this location is completely unexpected, the Egyptian Ministry of Environment reports. Blue whales are spread throughout most of the world's oceans, but stay away from shallow seas and seas largely enclosed by land, like the the Red Sea.

Warning to swimmers and divers

Furthermore, the Red Sea lies far away from where these whales usually live and are also warmer. The animal was first seen on 29 May in the most northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, near the Israeli town of Eilat. Then, two days later it was spotted by marine biologists at 300 metres off the coast of Taba in Egypt. The length of the whale is estimated at 20 meters. The Egyptian Ministry of Nature carries out further research and warns swimmers and divers not to approach the animal. Dive sites in this part of the Red Sea are for exemple: Laguna Reef, Jackson Reef and Woodhouse Reef.