Rare sighting of grey whale in Bay of Naples

A large grey whale has been spotted over the weekend by a group of divers in the bay of Naples, southern Italy.

The animal, not usually seen in the Mediterranean, was seen Sunday and seemed lost initially, according to one of the divers.

But after playing with the bow of the boat, the whale resumed its course towards the open sea.

Walter Esposito, President and Technical Director of the Fipsas (Italian Federation of Sport Fishing and Underwater Activities) Federal Divers Group of Naples, told the Associated Press that they could not believe what they were seeing.

He said they never expected to see that kind of whale on their doorstep.

A similar whale - perhaps the same one - was spotted off the island of Ponza about halfway between Rome and Naples on April 15.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), grey whales swim in the North Pacific Ocean and migrate down the Pacific coast to southern California and the coast of Mexico.

It is not clear how the whale got to the Mediterranean but according to NOAA website, grey whales can swim long distances in deep water during migration.