Swarms of jellyfish are currently hovering just off Israel's coastline, stretching from Rosh Hanikra in the north all the way to the beaches of the Gaza Strip.
Dr. Dor Adelist, a marine ecologist from the University of Haifa and the Ruppin Academic Center, says that these jellyfish have no desire to meet beachgoers and prefer to stay a few hundred meters from the shore. The Meduzot Ba'am website offers an updated map showing the locations of these stinging creatures off the coast of Israel.
In an interview with Ynet, Adelist discussed a new study revealing that jellyfish actually prefer to avoid the shore. "A joint study by the University of Haifa and the Technion found that jellyfish swim away from the shore; they do not want to reach it," said Adelist. "This is something we observed visually, and now we have empirical evidence."
Adelist also commented on photos taken over the weekend off the coast of Haifa, which showed numerous jellyfish. "Fortunately, the jellyfish are still a few hundred meters from the shore, at least on most of the country's beaches, so swimming is still possible," he said. According to him, this is a typical swarm that visits Israel's coasts each year.
He emphasized that this is not an unusual occurrence. "Last year, we barely had any jellyfish in the summer, so it might seem like there's an increase this year," said Adelist. "But this swarm is standard. It arrives around the end of June and is expected to stay with us until approximately the end of July."
Adelist explains why there were so few jellyfish last year. "Last summer, we experienced very late warming of the waters, compared to this year when the waters warmed early, and the temperature significantly influences the jellyfish swarm," he said. "Additionally, there are many factors we don't fully understand, such as food availability in the sea and winter rainfall."
He also addressed the types of jellyfish in the swarm off Israel's coast. "We mainly have the nomadic jellyfish, whose sting is painful but not dangerous," he said.
So, what should you do if you come into contact with jellyfish? Adelist advises: "There are ways to avoid jellyfish. You can wear a diving or surfing suit to protect yourself from stings. Additionally, there is sunscreen that protects against stings. If you get stung – rinse only with seawater and treat the sting like a burn. Creams like aloe vera and others will suffice. Not vinegar, not urine, not sand."