Israel dives into offshore conservation with first National Marine Park
Area off Caesarea joins large extension to the Evtach Marine Reserve in waters between Ashkelon and Ashdod, plus projects in Hadera and additional land in the Ramon Crater
Sue Surkes is The Times of Israel's environment reporter
The antiquities-studded waters off the coast of Caesarea will become Israel’s first offshore National Park, Israel said Monday, announcing five new nature and heritage preservation areas.
The debut of the country’s first national marine park comes was paired with a decision by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and the Planning Authority to massively expand the offshore Evtach Marine Reserve in the waters between Ashdod and Ashkelon on the southern coast, testifying to a growing recognition of the sea as a trove of nature and archaeology worth preserving.
The national marine park in Caesarea is intended, first and foremost, to protect the antiquities of the ancient Caesarea port located underwater.
It extends into the sea from Caesarea’s terrestrial national park in northcentral Israel, which showcases the site’s magnificent Roman-era antiquities.
“The uniqueness of the new marine national park is that for the first time in Israel, heritage and natural values located under the sea will be accessible to the general public,” a statement from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority said. “Now that the park has been declared, the authority will work on making it accessible to the general public, whether by diving, swimming or snorkeling.”
In contrast to nature reserves, which focus primarily on conserving flora and fauna, national parks protect historical and archaeological heritage, serving also as outdoor recreational areas for the public.
The Evrach Reserve, which was Israel’s first offshore protection area when it was created in 2022, will add 67,108 dunams (16,556 acres) of Mediterranean Sea to its area.
Until now, the reserve extended around 300 meters (just under 1,000 feet) west of the coastline into the sea, reaching a maximum depth of roughly five meters (16 feet). Now, it will extend seven kilometers (4.35 miles) from the coastline at a maximum depth of about 39 meters (128 feet).
The reserve protects a sandy habitat on the seabed along with a rocky one rich in wildlife, and important marine species such as the common dolphin.
On terra firma
In southern Israel, 13,300 dunams (3,286 acres) of land in the Large Ramon Crater will now form the Heart of the Ramon Crater Nature Reserve and National Park. The declaration marks the final stage of implementing a government decision to protect the entire crater for conservation and tourism.
This area was previously designated for mining, quarrying, and raw material-related industry and has been partially mined. It does not include land in the crater owned by the Mitzpe Ramon Local Council, which has retracted its widely opposed plan to build a concert facility.
The Sharon National Park in Hadera, central Israel, covers 1,665 dunams (411 acres) and includes beaches; ridges of kurkar (fossilized sand) with typical, endemic, and rare plant species, stabilized and semi-stabilized sands, winter ponds; and a coastal park-forest (open woodland) — the only one of its kind remaining in Israel. It boasts Tabor oak and carob trees, mastic bushes, white broom, and artemesia.
It is the largest natural area within the heavily settled Sharon to protect two of the rarest, most important, and diverse habitats in the region.
The 236 dunam (58 acre) Forest Pond Nature Reserve, also in Hadera, will preserve one of the few remaining seasonal winter ponds.
At the start of the last century, Israel’s coastal plain was dotted with thousands of winter ponds, from Nahariya in the north to the Gaza Strip in the south. These provided habitats for specially adapted flora and fauna and stopping points for the millions of birds that migrate through the country.
They absorbed excess rainfall, helping to prevent flooding, and filtering and cleaning the water before it seeped underground.
Today, only a few dozen ponds remain because of construction and drainage. This one is the biggest and richest one left in the area.
