A Blue Whale at least 20 meters (65 feet) long was spotted today in the Gulf of Eilat. The Blue Whale is the heaviest animal ever seen on Earth.

Israel and the Gulf of Eilat are far from the whale's distribution area in the North Atlantic and the Southern Hemisphere, including Antarctica. The Blue Whale is considered an endangered species.

Dr. Assaf Zvuloni, an ecologist in the Southern District of the Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority, said: "This is a very exciting observation point. Whales sometimes travel great distances. From time to time, some individuals increase their range of migrations and there can be many reasons, such as food availability, damage to their other habitats, climate change, etc."