(haipo) – Delphis researchers and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority are working to verify the identification using DNA; the public is asked to report additional sightings.
This morning (Saturday 22/03/25) a double report was received at the Delphis Association, from Nature and Parks Authority inspector Rotem Sade and Moshe Zorea from Ma'agan Michael, about a carcass of a marine mammal that was spotted near the Ma'agan Michael beach.
A team of researchers including Dr. Ruthie Yahel from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Prof. Gitti Yahel from the Ruppin Maritime College, and Dr. Mia Elser and Dr. Aviad Sheinin from Delphis, quickly arrived at the scene and identified that it was most likely the carcass of a seal.
According to Dr. Elser's assessment, this is an adult seal – possibly a female – about 2.20 meters long. Its worn teeth suggest that it is an adult. Prof. Gitti Yahel noted that the sea ducks that clung to the carcass indicate a prolonged stay at sea – "at least a few days and perhaps even two weeks."
The researchers emphasized that only a DNA test can determine with certainty whether this is indeed a Mediterranean monk seal, one of the rarest and most threatened marine mammals in the Mediterranean. The carcass was transported to Ashdod by Ilya Baskin, the inspector of the Marine Unit of the BRT, for a post-mortem examination at the Super Predator Laboratory of the Maurice Kahn Marine Research Station at the University of Haifa.
At the same time, photos of the body were sent to international researchers Dr. Luigi Bondone from Italy and Harris Nicolaou from Cyprus – who have been accompanying the project to return the seals to Israel since April 2023.
From Delphi delivered:
The last sighting of a seal in Israel occurred in December 2024, when reservists spotted a seal in the Rosh Hanikra caves. At that time, attempts were being made to identify whether it was ‘Maya,’ the seal that had been recorded in the area a month earlier. Just two days before the sighting, Dr. Maya Elser removed cameras that had been recording the Rosh Hanikra caves for a year, as part of the Delphis project to make the site accessible to seals.
What to do if you see a seal?
The Israel Nature and Parks Authority and Delphis ask the public to act responsibly:
1. Keep your distance – do not approach or interfere.
2. Take pictures from a distance (without flash).
3. Report to Delphis by phone at 050-3225227 or on the website: www.delphis.ngo/reporting
4. If the seal is on the beach – keep the crowd and dogs away, keep quiet and do not shine a light on it.
5. Remember – this is a rare and exciting opportunity to participate in preserving an endangered species.