Pod of dolphins spotted off Mediterranean coast

A pod of 15 dolphins was filmed off Israel’s Mediterranean coast between Ashdod and Ashkelon on Sunday.

The aquatic mammals were spotted by members of the Nature and Parks Authority’s marine unit, during a routine survey of the area.

In a video released by the Nature and Parks Authority, the dolphins can be seen swimming and whistling to each other in the turquoise water.

The Mediterranean bottlenose dolphin is considered a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and Israel’s beaches have been designated as an important habitat for the species.

This May, around 20 endangered dolphins provided marine inspectors from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority with a special escort off the coast, between Ashkelon and Nitzanim in southern Israel.