Shark Protocol Activated
Shark Spotted in Ashdod Beach, Causing Panic and Forcing Beach Closures | WATCH
All bathing beaches in Ashdod were abruptly closed and a black flag was raised after a shark was sighted near Beach J, forcing all swimmers out of the water. The quick emergency protocol follows the fatal shark attack on a diver in Hadera earlier this year, prompting authorities to conduct immediate scans of the coastline.
The city of Ashdod has issued a high-level warning and promptly closed all its bathing beaches after a shark was sighted near the shore of Hof Yud Aleph (Beach J). Following the sighting, municipal authorities ordered all bathers to immediately exit the water and raised the black flag, indicating the closure of the beach.
The Ashdod Municipality subsequently announced that all bathing beaches across the city would be closed as a precautionary measure. Municipal Security forces have secured the area and requested that the public stay away from the coastline. Lifeguards are operating under the city's established Shark Protocol, conducting additional sweeps and observations across adjacent beaches to ensure the safety of all residents.
“The lifeguards are operating according to the municipal Shark Protocol and are carrying out additional scans to maintain the safety of the bathers,” the Ashdod Municipality stated in an announcement. “We ask the public to obey the instructions of the lifeguards and avoid entering the sea until further notice.”
The quick implementation of these safety measures underscores the inherent dangers associated with shark presence, an issue brought into sharp focus by a tragic incident earlier this year. Last April, Barak Zach, a diver and father of four, was killed in a shark attack off the coast of Nahal Hadera.
An eyewitness to that April tragedy described the horrifying scene to a news outlet: “I saw the diver deep in the water, he screamed, ‘They bit me, they bit me,’ and signaled with his hands in the air. After just a few minutes, sharks pulled him to another side. We saw three sharks on him and a really huge puddle of blood around him. Since then, he disappeared.” Search efforts for Zach, which included marine police and a helicopter, eventually led to the discovery of his remains a day later.
While experts have generally maintained that sharks in Israeli waters are not typically aggressive toward humans, the Hadera incident highlighted the potential risks. Itamar Avishai, Scientific Director of the EcoOcean Association, emphasized after the April attack that while there is generally no reason to fear sharks, “it is important to remember that this is a wild animal in its natural environment, and provoking a shark may cause it to defend itself.”
He advised common sense precautions, noting that sharks are unlikely to attack "if you don't approach it, grab its tail or fins, or harass it in some way." The municipal action in Ashdod, therefore, prioritizes distance and caution, urging the public to avoid all swimming until authorities confirm the coastline is entirely clear of danger.