Khaberni - Competent authorities found a dead sperm whale off the coast of Gaza, swept by the waves to "Zikim" beach between Ashkelon city and Gaza Strip.
This is the eighth whale of its kind found dead in the area over the past six years. Israeli experts from the Morris Kahn Marine Research Station at the University of Haifa and from the Delphis organization for marine mammal protection conducted an autopsy on the whale's body, in an attempt to determine the still unknown cause of death.
Researcher Mia Elser from the Delphis association explained that sightings of live sperm whales in the Mediterranean have increased since 2020, which aligns with the increase in the number of carcasses reaching the shore.
The latest estimates indicate that between 250 and 2,500 of these endangered whales still exist in the Mediterranean.
Sperm whales are the largest toothed whales in the world, named after the rare waxy substance they secrete inside their intestines, which later floats on the sea surface. This material has historically been used in the production of luxury perfumes to fix scents, and it has also been included in some ancient medical uses.
