Red Sea reserves say they have no official record of the Umm Qamar whale
The administration says it received no report of a blue or fin whale and could not establish where or when the circulating video was filmed. The skipper who filmed it stands by the sighting.
4 November 2026
The general administration of Red Sea reserves says it has no official, documented record of the large whale filmed near Umm Qamar island north of Hurghada, and that it has received no official report of a blue or fin whale in the area.
Contact with the man who filmed the video did not establish where or when the footage was taken, the administration said, urging people not to state the animal's species before the images are checked scientifically.
Mahmoud Shazly, a boat skipper in Hurghada who filmed one of the circulating clips, said he was taking four German tourists on a snorkelling trip in the El Erg area when the whale appeared near the island at about 2pm. Marine workers who saw the footage suggested a blue or fin whale from the animal's size and shape, an identification specialists have not confirmed.
Whales have been recorded in Red Sea waters before, including humpbacks off Marsa Alam and El Quseir. The report also cautions against chasing or crowding rare marine animals.