Public asked to keep eye out for a seal after reliable sighting off Haifa coast

Researchers call on the public to keep their eyes open for a seal, following a reliable sighting off the coast of Haifa in northern Israel.

Anyone who sees the animal is asked to photograph it and call 050-3225227 or report it online to Delphis, an organization that researches and protects marine mammals. Alternatively, people can call the Israel Nature and Parks Authority hotline at *3639.

The seal report came from veterinarian Dr. Yotam Ayalon, who was surfing in the Bat Galim area.

This follows an unverified sighting near Rosh Hanikra close to Israel’s border with Lebanon two weeks ago, and one off the coast of Ashdod in southern Israel at the end of November. Two weeks before that, there was a sighting off the coast of Herzliya in central Israel.

In May last year, a female Mediterranean monk seal nicknamed Yulia came ashore on the Jaffa beach, causing a media sensation.

Yulia is one of roughly 600-700 of the species left in the world, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, though other estimates put the number even lower. The species is classified as endangered.

Anyone who sees a seal is asked to keep their distance, take pictures without a flash and take a video. If the seal is on the beach, keep curious onlookers and dogs away, keep the area quiet and do not use a flashlight.