Rare shark sighting off Israeli shore startles swimmers at popular Beit Yanai beach north of Tel Aviv

Israeli swimmers were surprised to discover two dusky sharks near shoreline at Beit Yanai beach, north of Netanya, over the last 24 hours. The specific shark species is not considered dangerous to humans, but it still sparked panic among beachgoers.

Yehuda Zimbris (68), who lives in a coastal village nearby, recalled his encounter with the sharks.

"I'm building a house on the cliff above Beit Yanai beach," Zimbris told the Ynet News outlet.

"Suddenly, I noticed two shadows in the water. I started filming them and realized they were sharks. They came within 50 to 100 meters of the shore, which caused panic among most of the swimmers. Still, some people tried to approach them, despite the lifeguard’s clear instructions to get out of the water. The sharks swam from south to north, performed a kind of ‘dance,’ and eventually disappeared northward,” he recalled.

While sharks have increasingly been drawn to the warm water outflows near the Orot Rabin power station in the coastal city of Hadera, sightings at Beit Yanai Beach remain rare.

In recent days, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA) has issued warnings to the public about swimming in the area, which is considered one of Israel’s top beaches. Earlier this week, the authority confirmed that two sharks had been spotted near the mouth of the Alexander Stream, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea and is part of the nearby Beit Yanai National Park.

Dr. Adi Barash, a marine biologist with the NGO Sharks in Israel and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History at Tel Aviv University, explained that sharks can occasionally be spotted next to the shoreline during the winter period as well.

“This may also happen in winter, but to a lesser extent,” Barash said.

“Due to recent heat waves, a large number of fish have died because they couldn’t adapt to the extreme changes in water temperature. That, in turn, attracts sharks. Additionally, the sharks’ roaming area is expanding, so they’re migrating along the Israeli coastline rather than concentrating in specific areas,” he added.

While Israeli beaches are not typically associated with sharks, Barash contends that sightings along Israel’s Mediterranean coast are not uncommon.

“This occurs every spring due to the warming waters. There’s no need to close beaches – just follow safety guidelines and respect the sharks. Don’t provoke them or try to interact. Sharks are a protected species in Israel, so approaching or touching them is prohibited,” he urged the public.

Some analysts argue that climate change and human population expansion have impacted animal behavioral patterns. Israel and other Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries are considered particularly vulnerable to global warming trends.

Last April, Israel faced an extreme heat wave across the nation. Temperatures in Tel Aviv reached 40.7°C (105.3°F), the highest locally measured temperature in 85 years. The last time Tel Aviv experienced similar temperatures was in 1939, the same year the Second World War broke out and nine years before the re-establishment of the Jewish state.