Latest news with #Ben-Ari
Egypt Independent
23-04-2025
- Egypt Independent
Sharks drew crowds to this Israeli beach for years. Now a swimmer's disappeared and a body's been found
HADERA, Israel AP — Israeli police on Tuesday scoured the Mediterranean coast for a swimmer they fear may have been attacked by a shark in an area that has long seen close encounters between marine predators and beachgoers who sometimes seek them out. A shiver of endangered dusky and sandbar sharks has been swimming close to the area for years, attracting onlookers who approach the sharks, drawing pleas from conservation groups for authorities to separate people from the wild animal. Nature groups say those warnings went unheeded. Police and rescue workers launched a search along the coast after reports that a shark attacked a swimmer on a beach near the city of Hadera. Israel's Fire and Rescue Authority announced Tuesday afternoon they had found remains of a body, which was brought to the forensic institute for identification. On Tuesday, the beach was closed as search teams used boats and underwater equipment to look for the man. His identity was not immediately known, but Israeli media said he had gone to swim with the sharks. Israelis flocked in large numbers to the beach during a weeklong holiday, sharing the waters with a dozen or more sharks. Some tugged on the sharks' fins, while others threw them fish to eat. Dusky sharks can grow to 4 meters (13 feet) long and weigh about 350 kilograms (750 pounds). Sandbar sharks are smaller, growing to about 2.5 meters (8 feet) and 100 kilograms (220 pounds). Israeli police look for a swimmer who they fear was attacked on Monday by a shark, near the city of Hadera, on April 22, 2025. Ariel Schalit/AP Yigael Ben-Ari, head of marine rangers at the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, said it was not known how the man behaved around the sharks. But he said the public should know not to enter the water when sharks are present and not to touch or play with them. One video shared by Israeli media showed a shark swimming right up to bathers in thigh-deep water. 'What a huge shark!' the man filming exclaims, as the shark approaches him. 'Whoa! He's coming toward us!' 'Don't move!' he implores a boy standing nearby, who replies: 'I'm leaving.' The man then asks: 'What, are you afraid of the sharks?' The behavior, some of which was witnessed by an Associated Press photographer two days before the attack, flew in the face of the advice of the parks authority. 'Like every wild animal, the sharks' behavior may be unpredictable,' the authority said in a statement. This would be just the third recorded shark attack in Israel, according to Ben-Ari. One person was killed in an attack in the 1940s. The area, where warm water released by a nearby power plant flows into the sea, has for years attracted dozens of sharks between October and May. Ben-Ari said swimming is prohibited in the area, but swimmers enter the water anyway. 'It would have been appropriate to take steps to preserve and regulate public safety, but over the years, chaos has developed in the area,' the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, an environmental group, said in a statement. It said fishermen, boats, divers, surfers and snorkelers intersected dangerously with a wild animal that 'is not accustomed to being around crowds of people.' SPNI said further steps were needed to prevent similar incidents, like designating a safe zone from where people could view the sharks without swimming close to them. Israeli authorities on Monday closed the beach and others nearby and they remained closed Tuesday.
The Independent
23-04-2025
- The Independent
Man attacked by shark off Israeli coast after bathers seen playing with animal
Israeli police have been searching the waters off the country's Mediterranean coast for a swimmer who they fear may have been attacked by a shark. In recent years, the area has seen close encounters between a shiever of endangered dusky and sandbar sharks that have been swimming close to the area and beachgoers who sometimes seek them out. Many conservation groups have also urged authorities to separate people from the sharks. Nature groups say those warnings went unheeded as police were forced to launch a search after receiving reports that a swimmer was attacked by a shark on a beach near the Israeli city of Hadera on Monday. A day later, the beach near Hadera was closed off as search teams searched the sea by boat and underwater equipment for the swimmer. The man's identity is unknown, but Israeli media said he had gone to swim with the sharks. Israelis flocked in large numbers to the beach during a weeklong holiday, sharing the waters with a dozen or more sharks. Some tugged on the sharks' fins, while others threw them fish to eat. Ben-Ari said it was unknown how the man believed to have been attacked behaved around the sharks, but the public had a responsibility to recognize that it shouldn't enter the waters and definitely should not touch or play with the sharks. One video shared by Israeli media showed a shark swimming right up to bathers in thigh-deep water. 'What a huge shark!' the man filming exclaims, as the shark approaches him. 'Whoa! He's coming toward us!' 'Don't move!' he implores a boy standing nearby, who replies 'I'm leaving.' The man then asks, 'what, are you afraid of the sharks?' The behavior, some of which was witnessed by an Associated Press photographer two days before the attack, flew in the face of the Parks and Nature Authority's advice not to approach the sharks. 'Like every wild animal, the sharks' behavior may be unpredictable,' the authority said in a statement. This would be just the third recorded shark attack in Israel, according to Yigael Ben-Ari, head of the Israel's Parks and Nature Authority's marine ranger force. One person was killed in an attack in the 1940s. The area, where warm water released by a nearby power plant flows into the sea, has for years attracted dozens of sharks between the months of October and May. Ben-Ari said swimming is prohibited in the area, but swimmers enter the water anyway. 'It would have been appropriate to take steps to preserve and regulate public safety, but over the years chaos has developed in the area,' the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, an environmental group, said in a statement. It said fishermen, boats, divers, surfers and snorkelers intersected dangerously with a wild animal that 'is not accustomed to being around crowds of people.' SPNI said further steps were needed to prevent similar incidents, like designating a safe zone from where people could view the sharks without swimming close to them. Israeli authorities on Monday closed the beach and others nearby.
CNN
22-04-2025
- CNN
Sharks drew crowds to this Israeli beach for years. Now a swimmer's disappeared and a body's been found
Israeli police on Tuesday scoured the Mediterranean coast for a swimmer they fear may have been attacked by a shark in an area that has long seen close encounters between marine predators and beachgoers who sometimes seek them out. A shiver of endangered dusky and sandbar sharks has been swimming close to the area for years, attracting onlookers who approach the sharks, drawing pleas from conservation groups for authorities to separate people from the wild animal. Nature groups say those warnings went unheeded. Police and rescue workers launched a search along the coast after reports that a shark attacked a swimmer on a beach near the city of Hadera. Israel's Fire and Rescue Authority announced Tuesday afternoon they had found remains of a body, which was brought to the forensic institute for identification. On Tuesday, the beach was closed as search teams used boats and underwater equipment to look for the man. His identity was not immediately known, but Israeli media said he had gone to swim with the sharks. Israelis flocked in large numbers to the beach during a weeklong holiday, sharing the waters with a dozen or more sharks. Some tugged on the sharks' fins, while others threw them fish to eat. Dusky sharks can grow to 4 meters (13 feet) long and weigh about 350 kilograms (750 pounds). Sandbar sharks are smaller, growing to about 2.5 meters (8 feet) and 100 kilograms (220 pounds). Yigael Ben-Ari, head of marine rangers at the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, said it was not known how the man behaved around the sharks. But he said the public should know not to enter the water when sharks are present and not to touch or play with them. One video shared by Israeli media showed a shark swimming right up to bathers in thigh-deep water. 'What a huge shark!' the man filming exclaims, as the shark approaches him. 'Whoa! He's coming toward us!' 'Don't move!' he implores a boy standing nearby, who replies: 'I'm leaving.' The man then asks: 'What, are you afraid of the sharks?' The behavior, some of which was witnessed by an Associated Press photographer two days before the attack, flew in the face of the advice of the parks authority. 'Like every wild animal, the sharks' behavior may be unpredictable,' the authority said in a statement. This would be just the third recorded shark attack in Israel, according to Ben-Ari. One person was killed in an attack in the 1940s. The area, where warm water released by a nearby power plant flows into the sea, has for years attracted dozens of sharks between October and May. Ben-Ari said swimming is prohibited in the area, but swimmers enter the water anyway. 'It would have been appropriate to take steps to preserve and regulate public safety, but over the years, chaos has developed in the area,' the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, an environmental group, said in a statement. It said fishermen, boats, divers, surfers and snorkelers intersected dangerously with a wild animal that 'is not accustomed to being around crowds of people.' SPNI said further steps were needed to prevent similar incidents, like designating a safe zone from where people could view the sharks without swimming close to them. Israeli authorities on Monday closed the beach and others nearby and they remained closed Tuesday.
CNN
22-04-2025
- CNN
Sharks drew crowds to this Israeli beach for years. Now a swimmer's disappeared and a body's been found
Israeli police on Tuesday scoured the Mediterranean coast for a swimmer they fear may have been attacked by a shark in an area that has long seen close encounters between marine predators and beachgoers who sometimes seek them out. A shiver of endangered dusky and sandbar sharks has been swimming close to the area for years, attracting onlookers who approach the sharks, drawing pleas from conservation groups for authorities to separate people from the wild animal. Nature groups say those warnings went unheeded. Police and rescue workers launched a search along the coast after reports that a shark attacked a swimmer on a beach near the city of Hadera. Israel's Fire and Rescue Authority announced Tuesday afternoon they had found remains of a body, which was brought to the forensic institute for identification. On Tuesday, the beach was closed as search teams used boats and underwater equipment to look for the man. His identity was not immediately known, but Israeli media said he had gone to swim with the sharks. Israelis flocked in large numbers to the beach during a weeklong holiday, sharing the waters with a dozen or more sharks. Some tugged on the sharks' fins, while others threw them fish to eat. Dusky sharks can grow to 4 meters (13 feet) long and weigh about 350 kilograms (750 pounds). Sandbar sharks are smaller, growing to about 2.5 meters (8 feet) and 100 kilograms (220 pounds). Yigael Ben-Ari, head of marine rangers at the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, said it was not known how the man behaved around the sharks. But he said the public should know not to enter the water when sharks are present and not to touch or play with them. One video shared by Israeli media showed a shark swimming right up to bathers in thigh-deep water. 'What a huge shark!' the man filming exclaims, as the shark approaches him. 'Whoa! He's coming toward us!' 'Don't move!' he implores a boy standing nearby, who replies: 'I'm leaving.' The man then asks: 'What, are you afraid of the sharks?' The behavior, some of which was witnessed by an Associated Press photographer two days before the attack, flew in the face of the advice of the parks authority. 'Like every wild animal, the sharks' behavior may be unpredictable,' the authority said in a statement. This would be just the third recorded shark attack in Israel, according to Ben-Ari. One person was killed in an attack in the 1940s. The area, where warm water released by a nearby power plant flows into the sea, has for years attracted dozens of sharks between October and May. Ben-Ari said swimming is prohibited in the area, but swimmers enter the water anyway. 'It would have been appropriate to take steps to preserve and regulate public safety, but over the years, chaos has developed in the area,' the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, an environmental group, said in a statement. It said fishermen, boats, divers, surfers and snorkelers intersected dangerously with a wild animal that 'is not accustomed to being around crowds of people.' SPNI said further steps were needed to prevent similar incidents, like designating a safe zone from where people could view the sharks without swimming close to them. Israeli authorities on Monday closed the beach and others nearby and they remained closed Tuesday.
The Journal
22-04-2025
- The Journal
Israeli police search for swimmer following suspected shark attack
ISRAELI POLICE ARE scouring the waters off the country's Mediterranean coast for a swimmer who they fear may have been attacked by a shark in an area that has seen close encounters between marine predators and beachgoers for decades. A shiver of endangered dusky and sandbar sharks has been swimming close to the area for years, attracting onlookers who approach the sharks and drawing pleas from conservation groups for authorities to separate people from the wild animals. Nature groups say these warnings went unheeded and on Monday, police launched a search after receiving reports that a swimmer had been attacked by a shark on a beach near the Israeli city of Hadera. Israel's Fire and Rescue Authority announced this afternoon that they had found remains of a body, which was taken to the forensic institute for identification. The beach near Hadera was closed off today as search teams scoured the sea by boat and underwater equipment for the swimmer. The man's identity was not immediately known, but Israeli media said he had gone to swim with the sharks. Israelis flocked in large numbers to the beach during a week-long holiday, sharing the waters with a dozen or more sharks. Some tugged on the sharks' fins, while others threw them fish to eat. Officers launched a search after receiving reports a swimmer had been attacked by a shark on a beach near the city of Hadera. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Dusky sharks can grow up to four metres long and weigh about 350kg. Sandbar sharks are smaller, growing to about 2.5 metres and 100kg. Yigael Ben-Ari, head of marine rangers at Israel Nature and Parks Authority, said it was not known how the man believed to have been attacked behaved around the sharks, but he said members of the public had a responsibility to recognise that they should not enter the waters and definitely should not touch or play with the sharks. One video shared by Israeli media showed a shark swimming right up to bathers in thigh-deep water. Advertisement 'What a huge shark!' the man filming exclaims, as the shark approaches him. 'Whoa! He's coming toward us!' 'Don't move!' he implores a boy standing nearby, who replies 'I'm leaving.' The man then asks: 'What, are you afraid of the sharks?' Israeli authorities closed the beach and others nearby on Monday. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo The behaviour, some of which was witnessed by an Associated Press photographer two days before the attack, flew in the face of the advice of the parks authority. 'Like every wild animal, the sharks' behaviour may be unpredictable,' the authority said in a statement. This would be just the third recorded shark attack in Israel, according to Ben-Ari. One person was killed in an attack in the 1940s. The area, where warm water released by a nearby power plant flows into the sea, has attracted dozens of sharks between the months of October and May for years. Ben-Ari said swimming was prohibited in the area, but that swimmers entered the water anyway. 'It would have been appropriate to take steps to preserve and regulate public safety, but over the years, chaos has developed in the area,' the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI), an environmental group, said in a statement. It said fishermen, boats, divers, surfers and snorkelers intersected dangerously with a wild animal that 'is not accustomed to being around crowds of people'. SPNI said that further steps were needed to prevent similar incidents, such as designating a safe zone from where people could view the sharks without swimming close to them. Israeli authorities closed the beach and others nearby on Monday.
