{"id":26186,"date":"2025-06-09T13:00:40","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T10:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/?p=26186"},"modified":"2025-06-09T13:16:11","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T10:16:11","slug":"worlds-largest-fish-spotted-off-eilat-coast-during-rare-visit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/worlds-largest-fish-spotted-off-eilat-coast-during-rare-visit\/","title":{"rendered":"World\u2019s Largest Fish Spotted Off Eilat Coast During Rare Visit"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>While snorkeler Ruslan Rabin from Karmiel expected a quiet day in the waters off Eilat\u2019s Katsa Port, he instead came face-to-face with one of the ocean\u2019s most majestic and elusive visitors\u2014a whale shark, the largest fish in the world. \u201cI was swimming near the pillars when this massive creature appeared,\u201d Rabin recalled. \u201cIt was both scary and mesmerizing, especially with the little fish circling around it. I swam beside it for a while before it disappeared into the depths. It was pure adrenaline and joy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Watch the Encounter:<\/strong><br \/>\n<iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5gR2-unq8ZU?si=7n_d25wQvx7Xtymm\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<em>The World\u2019s Largest Fish Visits Israel | Photo: Ruslan Rabin\/Rega News Desk <\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>A Gentle Giant in the Gulf of Eilat<\/strong><br \/>\nAccording to the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, whale sharks can grow up to 12 meters (40 feet) in length and weigh as much as 20 tons. Despite their size, they pose no danger to humans, feeding exclusively on plankton. In Israel, the species is legally protected and considered globally endangered.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A Sign of a Healthy Marine Ecosystem<\/strong><br \/>\nShai Oron, a marine ecologist at the Gulf of Eilat, explained that the whale shark\u2019s visit is a positive indicator of a thriving underwater environment. \u201cTheir appearance signals the presence of zooplankton, which suggests the marine ecosystem is functioning well,\u201d she said. Each sighting is logged into a scientific database, helping researchers track migration patterns across the Red Sea and understand more about the species\u2019 elusive behavior.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Public Asked to Watch, Not Touch<\/strong><br \/>\nEnvironmental organizations are urging the public to avoid contact with whale sharks, maintain a safe distance, and slow watercraft in their presence. Observers are encouraged to report sightings through the SeaWatch app. \u201cDon\u2019t ride them, don\u2019t touch\u2014just admire, photograph, and share,\u201d Oron emphasized.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Israeli snorkeler captures a stunning encounter with a whale shark, in what experts call a sign of marine health.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":26187,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[80,84],"tags":[6591,3406,1480,4337,2782,4207,6592,6590],"class_list":["post-26186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment","category-recreation","tag-eco-tourism","tag-eilat","tag-israel","tag-marine-life","tag-nature","tag-red-sea","tag-ruslan-rabin","tag-whale-shark"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.7 (Yoast SEO v24.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>World\u2019s Largest Fish Spotted Off Eilat Coast During Rare Visit - 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