Recently, a debate has arisen regarding a marine creature deemed strange in the North Coast region, among four peculiar marine organisms that at first glance may be mistaken for either whales or sharks. The search is ongoing along the North Coast for a fin whale, as a short video clip was reported, suggesting the presence of a shark, whale, or other strange marine creature in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, which may pose a threat to beachgoers, according to "Cairo 24."
The National Institute of Oceanography and Fishery Sciences received a report about the appearance of a strange marine creature in the Mediterranean waters, specifically on the North Coast along the coastal route from Alexandria to Matrouh at kilometer 67. Following a survey along the beach in question, search teams did not detect any large marine creatures in the area.
The institute noted a circulating video showing part of a whale or shark body along the North Coast, prompting the formation of working groups from the protected areas of the northern region and the national institute of oceanography and fishery sciences, in coordination with Dr. Abir Al-Saharti, the deputy head of the institute.
The teams conducted a thorough survey of the beaches near the report's location, extending 5 km east and 10 km west, but yielded no observations.
However, the institute speculated that the visible part of the marine creature might preliminarily belong to a small fin whale, as the video only displayed the dorsal fin and part of the body, while the head area or tail fin was not visible, making it difficult to accurately determine the species, based on the circulating video.
According to previous statements, an agreement was reached to continue the search work until the classification of the marine creature is confirmed or it is spotted again. Many people wonder what a fin whale is and whether it poses a risk to beachgoers along the North Coast. The fin whale is the second-largest mammal on Earth after the blue whale, with an average length of about 18 to 25 meters and weighing around 70 tons.
The characteristics of the fin whale include a large, rectangular body with asymmetrical coloring in the head area, where the lower right side is white, while the left side is dark or light gray. The head is slightly arched from above, with a protrusion extending from the blowholes to the upper lip.
Its back is covered with skin that varies in color from dark gray to brownish gray, while the sides are darker in color, and the belly and lower sides of the pectoral and tail fins are white. The dorsal fin is crescent-shaped or triangular, forming a 135° angle with the front part of the back, measuring an average of 40 to 60 cm long, located in the third quarter of the back near the tail fin, and is only visible when the head is completely submerged.
Three strange creatures appeared along the North Coast, which was uncertain whether they were whales or sharks, in a tourist village at kilometer 67 in the city of El Hammam on the North Coast of Egypt last Saturday. Additionally, a deceased Cuvier's beaked whale was found in one of the tourist villages in the North Coast area a few days ago.
The Egyptian Ministry of Environment stated that a report was received by the General Administration of Protected Areas in the northern region about a deceased marine animal found on a North Coast beach at Sidi Abdel Rahman.
The Ministry of Environment clarified that the deceased whale is of a common species in the Mediterranean Sea and is not endangered, and it was found in a state of complete decay, making it difficult to determine the apparent cause of death, except for damage to the lower head area, which suggests that the demise likely occurred in deep waters more than 15 days ago.
The ministry urged beachgoers not to worry about the incident, stating that any subsequent updates would be announced once the causes are known.
