A killer whale visit in the region: A pair of killer whales spotted off the UAE coast last week are repeat visitors, The National reports. The two orcas were spotted off the coast of Abu Dhabi last Tuesday before heading to Jebel Ali and on to Umm Al Quwain, where scientists lost track of them. Environmental experts told The National that the rise in killer whale sightings along the Emirati coastline in the past few years is due to marine life thriving in this area.

REMEMBER- The UAE has been pushing with efforts in recent years to preserve marine and coastal environments due to their economic, social, and environmental importance. The UAE has put in place laws and regulations to protect marine life from pollution, regulate activities in the marine environment, and establish protected areas for conservation and biodiversity development.

Not the first time: The same pair of orcas were previously tracked near Middle East coastlines, with wildlife organizations spotting them three times in 2017 and 2018 in Iranian waters, the experts say. Experts do not know where the orcas came from before entering UAE waters or where they may be heading. “What we know so far, it would suggest that they can travel long distances within the Gulf and may even head out into the wider Indian Ocean,” one of the experts said.