Israeli officials are investigating the cause of death of a fin whale that was found washed up on a beach in southern Israel.
The 17-meter-long whale was found on Thursday on the beach in the Nitzanim nature reserve, south of Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean coast.
The whale's body is "quite rotten, so it's impossible to say for certain the cause of death ... samples will be taken for research," said David Halfon, of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.
The Authority’s CEO Shaul Goldstein said a “tar pollution” incident was plaguing area waters in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. He called for an investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the pollution.
A similar whale washed up dead in the area in 2016.
With rainy weather giving way to periodic sunshine on Friday afternoon, some Israelis walked down to the nature reserve's coastline to see the whale up close and take photos with it.
