Earlier today, 09:00 AM, IMMRAC team was alerted to a presence of a whale, a mile and a half off Herzliya Marina. Upon arrival, the ca 13 m long whale was spotted and followed for two hours, southward along the coast. The whale made a continuous series of short (3-5 minute) dives occasionally displaying its flukes. Size, coloration and a distinct dorsal hump with successive small tubercles along the dorsal aspect of the tail stock pointed to it being a sperm whale and excitement was high, it being the first occasion when this species was sighted by IMMRAC staff. Some features being "wrong" with the head and the blow-hole were dismissed and the first report to the Media upon return to shore was of a sperm whale. Closer inspection of the photographs back home showed quite a lot of head in front of an elevated blowhole, flukes unlike those of a sperm whale, unwrinkled and white-patched skin, all leading to the incredible but inescapable conclusion that it was indeed a grey whale! It was last spotted off Jaffa, still in a southward direction. Comments and suggestions of how it got here and what are his chances of surviving would be more than welcome. Aviad Scheinin Dan Kerem Contact e-mail: scheinin@013.net.il A few pictures are attached crop20100508_Her_Aviad045_.jpg crop20100508_Her_Aviad053_IMMRAC.jpg crop_20100508_Her_Aviad010 copy.jpg 20100508_Her_Aviad074_IMMRAC.jpg Photographs: Dr. Aviad Scheinin __________________________________________________________________ Aviad Scheinin, Ph.D <mailto:scheinin@research.haifa.ac.il> scheinin@013.net.il <http://immrac.haifa.ac.il/> http://immrac.haifa.ac.il/ Chairman, IMMRAC - Israel Marine Mammal Research & Assistance center ECS council member Home address: Tirat Shalom, P.B. 1356, Nes-Ziona 74052, Israel Tel 972-8-9406584 Mobile 052-3571193 __________________________________________________________________
