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Dead baby whale tips off Israelis to massive oil spill on shoreline

The Israel Nature and Parks Authority said a “tar pollution” incident was plaguing waters in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

By Associated Press

Hundreds of volunteers took part Saturday in a cleanup operation of the Israeli shoreline as investigations are underway to determine the cause of an oil spill that threatens the beach and wildlife.

Israeli media reported that several volunteers were hospitalized after inhaling fumes. Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority urged people to stay away from the beach at 16 of the communities that are most polluted.

From as north as Haifa and down south to Ashkelon near Gaza, black strips could be seen along the Mediterranean coastline. At Gador Nature Reserve near the northern city of Hadera, the tar smeared fish, turtles, and other sea creatures.

The reason and timing of the spill are yet to be determined, but stormy weather earlier this week is believed to have pushed the pollutants ashore. On Thursday, a baby whale washed up dead on a beach near Tel Aviv, and authorities are investigating whether the two incidents are linked

David Halfon of the Nature and Parks Authority said Thursday that the animal was a fin whale calf about half the size of an adult, which can grow to more than 20 meters (about 66 feet) long. Initially, he and other officials said it wasn’t clear what caused the death, but they said the water nearby was polluted, including with tar.

“It’s a very sad event,” Halfon said of the whale’s death and appearance in the Nitzanim Reserve.

Aviad Scheinin of the Morris Kahn Marine Research Station said a team will take samples from the animal to try to determine a cause of death.

Shaul Goldstein, CEO of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, said a “tar pollution” incident was plaguing area waters in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. He called for an investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the pollution.

A similar whale washed up dead in the area in 2016.