(haipo) – The spring holiday brought with it not only fickle weather, but also rare and spectacular natural phenomena. Thus, during the past weekend (11-12/4/25), I received a message from Dr. Tamar Guy Haim ("Hayal"), according to which residents who engage in sports on a daily basis on the beaches - walking, running, etc., report that they encountered three types of marine creatures that they had never seen before: sea buttons, saguaros, and sea ducks.
A quick investigation I conducted at the beach revealed that these were unique marine creatures called "sea button" Porpita porpita, whose blue-purple color added a magical touch to the beaches.
The Blue Button – a fascinating marine colony
The "sea button" is actually a colony of hydroids, relatives of jellyfish. The sea button consists of a round, floating disk, on which polyps bearing stinging cells are located. Despite its fragile appearance, each individual contains both male and female reproductive organs, and fertilization takes place in the water.
A journey following the buttons – from the south coast to Gedor
When reports of the appearance of the "buttons" arrived, I conducted a survey of the beaches - from Student Beach and south, where I discovered hundreds of individuals, some with a diameter of one centimeter. The interesting thing is that the larger individuals were found outside Haifa, while in Haifa itself, smaller individuals were observed, with a diameter of only about five millimeters.
history of rare appearances
Porpita porpita was first recorded in the Levant Basin in 1842. It was seen again in Turkey in 2016. And in March 2019 on the Syrian coast. It was then seen in Israel. In 2020, rescuers collected several individuals and froze them for me, for research purposes.
The button in the menu: Marine predators enter the picture – specificity
The blue button didn't appear alone, a purple predatory snail with a floating organ, reminiscent of a transparent balloon, was also observed on the beaches. The button is actually part of the snail's menu. Although its appearance is a recurring phenomenon, this year, unlike previous years, thousands of individuals came to the beach!
Sea duck colony
And that's not all – in addition to these, blue sea ducks appeared on the beach, very young individuals, which, unlike previous times, are not attached to floating objects such as wood or plastic.
A colorful celebration at sea
These colorful phenomena, which are not harmful, add interest and charm to the Haifa coast. They are an opportunity for nature and sea lovers to explore and marvel at the rich biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea. There is no doubt that the sea continues to surprise and excite, especially in the spring.
Thanks for the awesome information!
In your opinion, will there still be a week or two left? Have such quantities been observed on Dor Beach, for example?
More proof that we are a "virtuous people" 🙂
Wow, amazing. Moti. What a spectacular article. There is no one like you. Thank you very much.
It's been like this for years. This is not a new phenomenon from the Achziv area. It's been like this for years. The researchers here in the country are sleeping and don't care about the sea. It's been known for years. The main thing is to close beaches and designate them as nature reserves. What kind of reserve is there here in the Mediterranean? Everything is garbage and sewage. You've turned this sea into
Fascinating, thank you.
Fascinating article, it's a privilege to see such exotic creatures that we as a public are not used to seeing in our daily lives and naturally! There are amazing creatures here that I didn't think looked like this! Thank you for this wonderful enrichment and these wonderful articles! Cheers!
Hi Muti
Wow, this is indeed a very interesting article.
FAV
New little guests at the beach. Interesting to read, and spectacular pictures. Thanks for the article!!
I found some of these 'buttons' two weeks ago on Riviera Beach in Bat Yam.
I bent down to pick one up, because the purple color was so prominent and it was so fragile that it cracked between my fingers. So this is not a phenomenon unique to Haifa.
When I saw that it didn't excite anyone on the beach, I thought to myself that this was a familiar phenomenon.
If I am not mistaken, the industry of dyeing fabrics blue, from snails, was a source of livelihood for the residents of Tel Shmona eight centuries BC.
Moti, I'm choking on tears of excitement...
What is this beauty?!
Sweetness despite the salt
Thank you for the accurate and fascinating information.
How beautiful! Thanks for the article.
It's amazing every time we see how animals, despite all our pollution and disruption, don't give up. Maybe we should take inspiration from them.
Very interesting
Very interesting! Thank you!
LaMichal: The blue was not produced from this snail, but from the scarlet snail.
In the study.. It seems that there are more parameters here for expanding the study. And from the abundance of snails that appear on the beach and the exorbitant price that is charged today for a blue tzitzit (until they sell it in China, ready #$%?? I clearly didn't go) it seems that God is opening another channel. It seems to me that this is actually the truth.
Spectacular. Great article and comprehensive explanations. Unbelievable what phenomena climate change has brought us. I wonder if this indicates a positive process for these creatures.
Nature continues to live and even recreate with rare phenomena... joyful...
In prayer for the return of our captives in Gaza, and the absence/s, in good health…
On Sunday, April 13.4, I saw one blue button with the transparent bag on the beach of arches in Caesarea.
The purple-blue snail is the azure wick with which they used to dye the wicks of the Jewish tallit, which they used to dye for the priests in the Temple. And it is believed that if it appears, redemption is near… Even if you pour a gallon of bleach, the color will never fade – this is a rare sight!
Great!!!! There is no end to nature and no end to its surprises.
An article that brings a smile, thank you Moti for sharing.
(This time I wasn't in the area these days and the article made me feel like I was in the area, at least in a sense)