The jellyfish WAZE: the application that will find out where they are and keep you away from the burns

The jellyfish are still here in large numbers and are mainly concentrated on the beaches of Haifa and Ashkelon.

The progress of the swarm can be followed in a new application called "Jellyfishes in the Nation" which relies on user reports.

Its developer, the marine ecologist Dr. Dor Edalist: "They usually leave at the beginning of August, but this year they arrived late"

Yoav Itiel

07/21/2022

Thursday, July 21, 2022, 12:04 p.m. Updated: 9:15 p.m.

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The large swarm of jellyfish that approached the shores of the country had not yet moved away from them, but had not actually landed on the shore either.

Millions of jellyfish are still observed in aerial photographs in the Haifa Bay area and bathers in the sea report a large concentration of jellyfish in the sea in front of the Ashkelon National Park.

You can track the current progress and retirement of the jellyfish swarm using "Jellyfish Beam", "a kind of Wise for jellyfish", as the developers of the app call it.

Similar to the application that has become the default for Israeli drivers, this platform also relies on user reports to help everyone else choose which route/bathing beach to choose.

They say that "this way, all the disappointment involved in arriving at the beach, loaded to exhaustion with umbrellas, coolers, children and towels, only to discover that a swarm of jellyfish has arrived in the water in front of you - can be saved with one click, which will allow users to choose beaches where there are no jellyfish in real time".

The latest Medusa map (photo: official website, Medusa Ltd.)

Haifa University researcher, the marine ecologist Dr. Dor Edalist, who developed the application with his colleague Dr. Dror Angel, said to Wala!

because "this time of year is still the usual season for the presence of jellyfish. We are used to seeing them leave us in the first week of August, but this year they may be delayed even longer. They arrived relatively late and may leave later. It may be related to the fact that the sea has warmed up late, to our account about two weeks after the usual date".

"Check the app before you get to the beach."

Dr. Edelist with Medusa (Photo: Courtesy of those photographed, Stefan Granzotto)

According to Edelist, one of the world's greatest experts on jellyfish, "the swarm is not exactly on the coastline but about a kilometer west of it, and even more. Last year, due to heavy heat, the jellyfish left earlier than usual."

Edelist says that those who plan a short day trip to the sea on the weekend can do so without too much fear.

"There are no unusual reports from hospitals about jellyfish stings. Maybe we should be more careful, and we really should be careful. You should ask the lifeguards at the beach and you should check the app before you arrive. But those planning a week of vacation on the beach should take into account that their departure will be late this year and consider the dates."

More on Walla!

Documentation burned into consciousness: the beautiful side of the jellyfish off the coast of Israel

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• Jellyfish

• Beach

• Haifa

• Ashkelon