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Africa and the Middle EastGet the scoop on where to go, where to stay and who to dive with in this region encompassing the continent of Africa from Israel, Egypt to Madagascar and South-Africa.
My husband and I just moved to Caesarea, and while it may not be the *best* diving in Israel, the prospect of diving so close to home is irresistible. Plus, we're both ruins freaks...
I was going to go down to the dive shop in the port tomorrow to get information and hopefully book something; but several people have said to wait till August because of the jellyfish. Actually, they said "Medusa" and it took us a few times to figure out they were not joking about Greek mythology...
I wear a full wetsuit, no matter how warm the water is, but hubby wears a shorty. Plus I can't imaging a jellyfish in the face would be pleasant! Will they be gone by August?
BTW, if there are any divers living near Caesarea, LMK! We can have a on the beach even if we can't dive because of the jellyfish!
Other than the general rule that the Jellyfish aka "Meduza" (or "Meduzot" for plural) come during the summer, they can stay as far as September in one year and leave by the end of July in the other.
They move mainly by current, so you may see hoards of meduzot in, say Haifa, and none in Caesarea in one day- the opposite on the other.
They can be scattered, concentrated in layers etc. They have their own rules where and how to go
Some are very small others are huge, but all of them sting nonetheless...
Only direct contact with their tentacles will cause a sever burn (and in many cases a nasty purplish scar- a "tattoo" of the meduza's tentacles). You really don't want an eye to eye encounter with one of these meduzas.
If there aren't too many meduzot you can dive but remember to keep a watchful eye around you. They may be waiting for you at a specific depth (e.g. dozens of meduzot could be waiting for you at 3-5meters- just where you want to do your safety stops...). If you see hundreds of meduzot in a few square meters- it won't be considered prudent to enter swimming or diving.
Be careful if there are waves- some meduzas know how to surf
Most people only meet the meduza' mucous trail that they leave behind. It stays in the water and stings a little, but it's mostly not more than a mild, annoying pain.
Weekend newspapers said that their numbers are dwindling and in most beaches jellyfish are scattered with dozens of meters between them, and relatively deep (good news for swimmers. However, it could be bad news for divers...)
Probably it is the end of the first wave. Nobody knows whether there is a second wave coming
This year there hasn't been much talk of jellyfish activity, but I suspect they'll just surprise us next month.
I dive with a full 0.5 suit so that I avoid contact with anything these things leave in the water.
Last week I've had a collision with a 3m long one, head to head, and never felt happier about wearing full suit.
As to diving, there is a great diving community near you in the north, and many good diving spots.
This year there hasn't been much talk of jellyfish activity, but I suspect they'll just surprise us next month.
I dive with a full 0.5 suit so that I avoid contact with anything these things leave in the water.
Last week I've had a collision with a 3m long one, head to head, and never felt happier about wearing full suit.
As to diving, there is a great diving community near you in the north, and many good diving spots.
Even with the full suit, what about your face? :11:
yet another reason for me to get a hood... my Hebrew teacher, who lives in Michmoret, said that the Meduzot went away last week - I'll have to head down to the dive shop in the port and see if the same holds true up here
Hi cow!!!!
Welcome, Caeserea is a neat place to dive. Decent visiblity and intresting ruins. A good idea before diving is to check the Israel Meterolagical Service for warnings as far as rough seas espically in the summer. The real diving season in Israel as far as the Med sea is concerned starts in October and through the winter months . Except for storms the sea is usually calm and visiblity very good. October, November as well as May, and June you can see hundreds of schools of small fish just swarming around you a real site! I suggest going from diving club to diving from North to South and dive from each one. Each dive club or provider has its own specialty. I live up north and enjoy diving around Nahariya and North. Again around October November in the area of the Ach Ziv Canyon you can see large amounts of huge sting rays that come to spwan there. Plenty of wrecks also. As far as the jellyfish are concern I find it difficlut dive in a full wet suit when the water temp. is 30 degrees C. If there aren't too many jellyfish or swarms of them you can stay out of there way. But still there could be venom in the water and can cause irritation even with a wet suit.
Enjoy your dive
Rauven: bobs@actcom.net.il
on the beach even if we can't dive because of the jellyfish!
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