Orcas Spotted Swimming In Terengganu Waters For The First Time In History
The majestic creatures were sighted by staff working on a nearby oil-drilling platform.
By Tamara Jayne — 18 Jul 2019, 11:58 AM
A pair of orcas were spotted swimming in Terengganu waters for the first time in history on Tuesday, 16 July
Video footage showed the majestic creatures swimming side-by-side in unison
The two mammals are believed to have been male and female, Rantau Abang Fisheries Research Institute (FRI) Marine Mammals branch head, Mohd Tamimi Ali Ahmad said in a statement, according to Bernama.
The creatures were estimated to have been between six and eight metres long and weighed between 5,000kg and 6,000kg each.
Mohd Tamimi Ali added that based on records, orca whales have never appeared in Terengganu before and marked this as a historical day
He explained that orcas are a protected species.
If any of the mammals are spotted in future, they should be immediately reported to the state or district fisheries office.
This is not the first time orcas have been sighted in Malaysian waters
New Straits Times reported that Sipadan divers had the experience of a lifetime when they spotted a pod of orcas swimming off the east coast of Sabah in 2017.
Orcas usually inhabit colder oceans around the Arctic and Antarctica. However, they can occasionally be found swimming around areas near the equator.
