A 17-meter-long (55-feet) whale washed up dead on Thursday on the beach in the Nitzanim nature reserve in Israel. Officials are investigating the cause of death of the fin whale.
The whale’s body is “quite rotten, so it’s impossible to say for certain the cause of death. Samples will be taken for research,” said David Halfon, ranger at the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.
Samples were taken on Friday morning. By the state of his body, researchers think the animal had already been dead for two weeks. They believe he was a young male since adults can go up to 20 meters in length.
הבוקר נלקחו דגימות מהלוויתן שנפלט אמש לים בדרום שמורת ניצנים. לסיכום
— ilana curiel (@ilanacuriel) February 19, 2021
מדובר בלוויתן מצוי, זכר בוגר באורך 16.9 מטר וכ- 25 טון. הוא הגיע לחוף במצב ריקבון מתקדם מאוד, לפחות שבועיים מאז שהוא מת. אין קשר לאירוע הזפת pic.twitter.com/cpaHPVFOjx
The incident comes after pieces of tar washed up on Israeli beaches after stormy weather. Videos of turtles covered in tar are circulating on social media in Israel.
The Israeli Environmental Protection Ministry Gila Gamliel said in a tweet about the tar harming nature and animals: “This is a crime against the environment and the ecosystem. We will work to locate the source of the pollution.”
אל תסיטו מבט. חוף דור. הזפת שנפלטה ברחבי חופי ישראל היא גזר דין מוות לכל הרבה יצורים ימיים💔🌍
— ilana curiel (@ilanacuriel) February 18, 2021
צילום: יוסף סגל, סיירת החוף pic.twitter.com/xMEfPjGgWa
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