Jerusalem, 24 February, 2026 (TPS-IL) — A whale carcass was discovered on Zikim Beach early Tuesday morning, raising concerns among marine conservationists about the species’ survival in the Mediterranean Sea. The beach, located near the Yam Shikma Marine Nature Reserve along Israel’s southern coast, is known for its rich marine biodiversity.
Dr. Mia Elser of the Delphis Association said the incident fits a growing pattern. Since the beginning of research in Israel, the bodies of eight humpback whales have been documented on the country’s coasts, including the one discovered in Zikim. She added that since 2020, there have been more sightings of live humpbacks at sea, a trend that is consistent with the increase in the number of dead whales that have washed ashore.
The Delphis Association is an Israeli nonprofit dedicated to the study and protection of dolphins, porpoises, and whales.
The Mediterranean population of porpoises, closely related to humpback whales, is particularly vulnerable. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classified it as endangered in 2021, with estimates ranging from 250 to 2,500 individuals, a number that continues to decline.
Eviatar Ben-Avi, inspector of the marine unit at the Nature and Parks Authority, said an autopsy on the whale’s body would be conducted to determine the cause of death.
Dr. Aviad Sheinin, director of the Delphis Association’s Dolphin and Sea Center, said that human activities, including drift nets, seismic surveys for gas and oil exploration, and plastic pollution, pose serious threats to marine life. He said drift nets can trap whales and sharks as bycatch, seismic surveys may damage their hearing or drive them away from food sources, and plastic waste harms deep-sea divers such as humpback whales.
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