Fish are biting off the coast of Israel • The truth, the myths, and what I saw with my own eyes

As someone who has spent time in the Mediterranean Sea for as long as I can remember, I am used to encountering new marine invaders that have entered us through the Suez Canal. Some are beautiful, some are dangerous, some are just a nuisance, but they are all changing our ecosystem. In recent years, the discourse around them seems to be increasing, and sometimes accompanied by panic. So I decided to take stock, drawing on my personal experience of years underwater.

The invaders who have arrived – and what is really dangerous?

Yes, species such as the red-eared slider, sea urchins, venomous sea urchins, and of course, the pufferfish, or by their popular name: Pufferfish. But it's important to understand: not every invader is a monster, and not every encounter is life-threatening.

Once upon a time, before the age of conservation, people would eat sharks, bettas, and whatnot. Even inflatables would be turned into living room decorations, inflated through the gutter and hung on the wall. That was how it was in the 1960s and 1970s.

Bloat – doesn’t just attack, but when it does…

The first puffin was recorded here in the 1970s, and since then more species have been added. Most are not aggressive, but there are exceptions and I know them intimately.

First story – Attack in Acre

A friend of mine, a veteran diver from Acre, used to hang his fishing catch around his waist. One day, in the area of ​​the Horse Beach, a school of puffers simply attacked the fish and him. He ended up in the hospital, underwent a hip transplant, after a piece of flesh was torn out of it. This fish's teeth? They can cut through metal wires and fishermen's cables.

Second story – a severed finger

An old fisherman from one of the villages told me about a Jew he fished with. He got tired of cutting the line every time he caught a pufferfish, so he decided to pull it out with his hand. The fish closed its mouth and cut off his finger.

And what about other fish? The sparrow is more dangerous

Most people are afraid of the pufferfish, but is it true? The sparrowfish – a completely local fish, is the one that waits for a swimmer to stop moving their legs… and then bites. The pufferfish, on the other hand, does not attack randomly.

The real danger: not the bite – but the venom

Eating pufferfish is life-threatening. In Japan, it is called Pogo, and it is considered a delicacy, but only chefs who undergo two years of training are allowed to prepare it. Even there, in luxury restaurants, there are cases of poisoning.

In Israel, there have been cases that ended in serious hospitalization, including anesthesia and ventilation.

And if you ask: "But people who eat fish like that, don't they feel anything?"
So the answer is: not immediately. The signs come later.

I myself, for the purpose of testing (and don't try it!), once took a pufferfish liver, seasoned it, and roasted it. The smell was wonderful. The result was a trauma for those who tasted it. It's a poison you don't play with.

So why did the issue come up now?

The truth is, there is no change.
The pufferfish has been here for more than 20 years. It causes damage to fishermen and fishing, but does not pose a new threat to bathers.

The one that is much more dangerous is the zoharon – a venomous fish that is not afraid of humans, and the chance of being harmed by it is many times higher.

My recommendations – after decades at sea

• Do not touch the blister. She bites, hard.
• Do not return invasive species to the sea. They harm the ecosystem.
• Don't eat puffed rice - ever.
• If caught on a fishing line – be very careful.

And finally – you can continue to enjoy the sea.

Despite all the stories, there is no reason to panic. Our sea is full of life, some new, some old, but most of it is not dangerous to bathers.

I continue to dive, fish, and enjoy the sea as always. With a little knowledge, a lot of caution, and a lot of love for the sea, you can continue to enjoy it without fear.