Millions of jellyfish surge toward Israeli beaches

It can be officially announced: jellyfish season has begun. Swarms of millions of jellyfish are already filling the shores of Israel, currently mainly in the south, but recent observations by Eco-Ocean indicate that in the coming days they will also reach the shores of Tel Aviv, Herzliya, and Haifa.

Dr. Dor Adelist, a marine ecologist from the University of Haifa, tells N12: "We are seeing a particularly high density of jellyfish in the south, and they are expected to spread along the entire coastline in the coming week. The end of June is their classic time, and they are expected to remain here until the beginning of August but this year the quantities are exceptional."

Three main species have already been observed this week on the shores of Israel: the migrating jellyfish (Rhopilema nomadica) – the most stinging and common jellyfish. It is invasive, translucent-white and large, with thin, long tentacles. There is also the smooth blue-margined jellyfish (Rhizostoma pulmo) – a large and prominent jellyfish, with a distinct blue band around the edge of the bell. Its sting is moderate but noticeable. Swarms of Red Sea root jellyfish have also reached the shores – another species that is less stinging but indicates a unique biological richness at this time of year.

"The migrating jellyfish is the dominant species, and it is the one that causes most of the stings," claims Dr. Adelist. "But it is important to know how to identify the others – to understand."

At the Rotenberg power station in Ashkelon, an unusual event was recorded this week: thousands of jellyfish clogged the station's cooling system filters. Thanks to the quick actions of the teams, damage to the electricity supply was avoided, but this is an event that recurs every summer, and this year the numbers have increased. The electricity company stated: "We are conducting continuous monitoring and are prepared for such cases but the quantities this year are exceptional."

Last Thursday, at the Sironit beach in Netanya, Pe'er, a 15-year-old girl from Kfar Yona, entered the shallow sea with friends, claiming her family that there were no jellyfish in the area. But then a wave came and according to her mother, Keren, "a giant jellyfish completely enveloped her, it really sucked her in." According to Keren, "Pe'er weighs 35 kg, and the jellyfish probably weighed twice that. She didn’t understand what was happening, fell into the water, and was very frightened. Suddenly a surfer who saw the distress came, picked her up on the surfboard, and brought her to shore. She started screaming, struggling with the jellyfish. People tried to pull her off it – and rushed with her to the medics." Pe'er was rushed by ambulance to Meir Hospital in Kfar Saba, where she has been hospitalized so far with second-degree burns, swelling, and a severe traumatic reaction.