Abu Dhabi Prohibits All Beach Activities After Orcas Were Spotted

Abu Dhabi has warned the public against swimming in the sea after two fishermen sighted two orcas off the Emirates coast on Tuesday.

The fisherman who sighted the orcas took a video of them and shared it on social media. The environment health and safety unit at Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism sent out an email to some hotels to put a halt to all beach activities for two days. 

The residents at St. Regis Saadiyat also received a memo which informed them that the beach will be closed until Friday. 

After the Abu Dhabi Environment Agency had shared a warning on social media, they explained that orcas visit the Abu Dhabi coast every now and then, despite this visit being a rare occasion. 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (@environmentabudhabi)

The orcas are usually found in the northeast Atlantic around the Norwegian coast, the North Pacific, and the coast of Antarctica. They can also be spotted in most oceans around the world as they have adapted to cooler climates and warmer waters in the Middle East.