Newsroom
A video posted online by Lebanese fishermen shows a killer whale in waters between Cyprus and Lebanon, in what is considered a rare sighting in the Mediterranean.
The video was posted on Facebook on Monday by Lebanese fishermen, showing a lone orca following their fishing boat.
The sighting reportedly took place off the Lebanese coastal town of Khalde, while experts say these Cetaceans are declining across Europe. Other reports suggest orcas are known to have largely vanished in the Mediterranean and the North Sea.
In the wild, orcas live in tight-knit family groups that share a sophisticated, unique culture that is passed down through generations, according to research.
Orcas, which are the largest mammals in the dolphin family, rarely venture into the Mediterranean let alone the Levantine Sea. But experts say these toothed killer whales are just following their food, typically consisting of enormous shoals of herring.
Killer whales are known for hunting in groups as a pack before tail-slapping the fish so hard they are either dazed or die.