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“This is the first documented sighting of a whale shark along Israel’s Mediterranean coast and only the third confirmed sighting in the entire Mediterranean.”
By Shula Rosen
Authorities in Ashdod temporarily closed Beach 11 on Friday after a large dorsal fin appeared offshore, prompting concerns for swimmers’ safety.
Experts later confirmed the animal was a whale shark, marking the first documented appearance of the species in Israeli waters.
Lifeguards and municipal staff immediately cleared swimmers from the sea and initiated the city’s standard “shark protocol.”
The beach was shut down, and warning signs were placed along the shoreline until the situation was assessed.
Footage provided by the Ashdod municipality’s beach division was examined by Dr. Aviad Scheinin of the Morris Kahn Marine Research Station at the University of Haifa.
He verified the animal as a whale shark, describing the sighting as unprecedented in Israel.
“This is the first documented sighting of a whale shark along Israel’s Mediterranean coast and only the third confirmed sighting in the entire Mediterranean,” Scheinin told Ynet.
The two earlier incidents occurred in Turkey in 2021 and near Ceuta in North Africa in 2022.
Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are the largest fish in the world, often measuring 12 to 14 meters long with lifespans exceeding 100 years.
Despite their size, they pose no threat to people, feeding only on plankton, small fish and crustaceans. The species is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Scheinin said it is likely the animal entered the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal. He added there was no evidence the shark was in distress.
While rare in the region, whale sharks have occasionally been reported in the Gulf of Eilat.
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