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(lives here on the beaches) - A swarm of jellyfish off the coast of Haifa: are we headed for a mass invasion of the jellyfish?

Alarming bells have recently been heard from the beaches of Haifa: a huge swarm of jellyfish has approached the area, and the fear of burns and depletion of the fish stocks as a result is growing. The reports received from the center to Ashdod indicate a few jellyfish here and there, but the situation may change at any moment.

Merivia Stealta invades (photo: Motty Mendelsohn)
Merivia Stealta invades (photo: Motty Mendelsohn)
Wandering wireworm (photo: Motty Mendelsohn)

Where do they come from?

Jellyfish lived on earth even before the dinosaurs and they will remain here long after us. They prey on minnows, zooplankton and prey of various species, and thanks to their huge numbers and their multiple sting cells, they cause significant destruction in the fish stocks in Israel.

A young and tiny jellyfish • It is very challenging to catch such small jellyfish in the camera lens (photo: Motty Mendelsohn)
Another tiny baby jellyfish (Photo: Muti Mendelsohn)

The jellyfish that changes the surface of the sea

In 1990, Prof. Bela Galil, a jellyfish expert, first described the wandering centipede as an invasive species that was new to science at the time. When asked for the Hebrew name of the medusa, Galil replied that it had not yet been given a name by the Academy, but when she was asked to give it her name anyway, Prof. Galil named her "Hotit", after her capillary hunting arms.

Local rhizostoma (photo: Motty Mendelsohn)
Cotylorhiza (photo: Motty Mendelsohn)

Myth and reality

The jellyfish are ancient and mysterious creatures. In Greek mythology it is told about Medusa, one of three monstrous sisters, whose hair is made entirely of snakes. It is possible that the connection made to marine production was born following the description of the sting of the jellyfish, the sensation of which is similar to that of a snake bite.

Contorted jellyfish (photo: Motty Mendelsohn)

Burning and those that are not

Despite the understandable concern, it is important to remember that most of the jellyfish that exist on the shores of Israel are smaller than 20 cm, which means that their arms are relatively short and therefore less stinging. Apart from that, there are also species of jellyfish on our shores that do not sting, or hardly sting at all.

Wandering wireworm (photo: Motty Mendelsohn)

The protected beach (usually)

Among Haifa's beaches, Bat Galim beach is considered relatively protected as far as jellyfish are concerned, except on days when northerly winds blow. However, due to the extreme changes in the weather, it is difficult to predict how long the jellyfish will remain in our area.

A lead of the mythological Medusa (photo: Motty Mendelsohn)

How will we defend ourselves? Get some tips:

Check out recent reports: Follow reports of the presence of jellyfish before going to sea.
Avoid contact: If you come across a jellyfish, do not touch it with your bare hands.
Did you get stung? Rub the area gently with a little wet sand.
Look for protected places: Like Bat Galim beach, which has less presence of jellyfish at certain times.

Let's hope that the swarm of jellyfish will not reach us in Haifa, and if it does, it will only be for a short time.
May we all have a pleasant, calm and burn-free weekend.

contact: At watsapBy email

Motty Mendelssohn
Motty Mendelssohn
Marine researcher (diving, underwater photography) and marine and environmental ecology for 35 years. Lecturer in the field for about 20 years. You can order a lecture or a series of lectures accompanied by unique and spectacular photos, taken during many years of research, in Israel and abroad • 050-7271157 • [email protected]

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11 תגובות

  1. Muti showed me that we never get stung by a jellyfish, so let the stung one talk
    A. It stings
    B. sting
    third. It gives you no rest
    d. burning
    God. Leaves color and burning for months so don't write that sometimes they don't sting
    And instead, maybe to make jellyfish pools, it's water in the gill anyway, they evaporate

    • Hello Robbie, I never dive with jellyfish and come out without being stung.
      And there are jellyfish whose sting cells will not pass the test of the thickness of human skin, so they will not sting you.
      FYI we share our homes with venomous spiders that will never bite us because their spiders are too small for humans.

    • Hello with me.
      Rub gently...it doesn't put the thorn inside.
      The venom mechanism is mechanical and every touch activates it even when the animal is dead

      By gently rubbing, the sting cells are removed with the jellyfish's arm.

  2. Dear Moti, what a stunning article that even teaches us about the history of the wandering conifer and why it got its name
    Spectacular photos in Shapo! Cheers!

    • Hello Jordan.
      It is true that many sexual academics do not know that the name is the work of a world expert on arthropods and a medusa.
      Prof. Bela Galil.
      Thank you very much and Shabbat Shalom

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