JERUSALEM, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Israeli marine researchers on Monday documented two sperm whales, among the rarest whale species in the Mediterranean Sea, highlighting the importance of protecting the region's marine environment, the University of Haifa said in a statement.
The researchers, participating in a deep-sea whale survey funded by Israel's Energy Ministry, were using an underwater listening system to detect whale and dolphin sounds in waters up to 160 km off Israel's coast.
Just before retrieving their underwater microphone about 35 km west of the southern coastal city of Ashdod, the researchers detected familiar clicking sounds. They followed the signals and located the two sperm whales resting at the surface between deep dives.
The scientists estimated that only a few hundred remain in the Mediterranean, where the isolated population is considered endangered.
Sperm whales are the world's largest toothed whales and among the deepest-diving marine mammals. They use echolocation, also known as biosonar, producing powerful clicking sounds to navigate and hunt in the dark depths of the ocean.
Since the survey project began in 2022, it was only the second time the researchers had seen sperm whales directly.
