Staying in Israel: the mermaid “Yulia” was spotted on a beach in the center of the country

2023-05-29 10:59:14

Last update: 29.05.2023 | 11:59

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The seal “Yulia”, who first arrived on the shores of Israel about two weeks ago, was spotted this morning (Monday) on a closed beach which is a fire area in the center of the country. Yesterday Yulia was spotted at the beach in Bat Yam, but returned to the sea after citizens approached her.

Yulia was observed by the director of the marine area at the Nature and Parks Authority, Guy Luyan, when she was resting. Dr. Mia Elser from the ‘Delphis’ association, which leads seal research in Israel, states that “Yulia’s condition is good.” Delphis researchers estimate that she is around 20 years old, and is about two meters long.

The mermaid “Yulia” at the beach in Bat Yam (photo: Guy Levian, Nature and Parks Authority)

Yesterday, around 8:00 p.m., several reports were sent to the Delphis association that Yulia had been spotted on the beach in Bat Yam. The mermaid was seen coming ashore, and it returned to the water after people on the scene got too close to it.

As I recall, the monk seal arrived in Israel about two weeks ago and spent several days on the beach in Jaffa. After that she sailed to Tel Aviv, then changed direction south to the Palmachim beach area. Yulia has been known to researchers in Turkey since 2007, when she was first spotted on a beach in the east of the country, and earned a local name.

Instructions for the public meeting Yulia:

• Keep Distance! This is a wild animal, and it should not be disturbed.
• Report to the Israel Nature and Parks Authority hotline *3639 and print on the website: or directly at tel. [phone] (Mia), so that the association’s researchers can come to the scene.
• Take pictures from a distance and without using flash.
• If she is on the beach itself, dogs must be kept away immediately (on these days it is necessary to walk with them when they are on a leash on the beach).
• keep calm