Carefully enjoying Israel's kurkar ridges along the Mediterranean seashore
The cliff creates a beautiful shoreline with unique habitats along its rugged slopes and curved wadis.
By ITSIK MAROMUpdated: DECEMBER 12, 2020 20:20This kurkar cliff appears between Ashkelon and Hadera, and in several sections is located just 10-30 meters from the sea.(photo credit: ITSIK MAROM)
Our Mediterranean seashore is relatively short at only 190 km. from Zikim in the South to Rosh Hanikra on the northern tip of Israel’s shoreline. One of the impressive and unique features is that part of it is made from a type of calcareous sandstone or eolianite. There is a ridge of that sandstone that rises to elevations of 10-50 meters.This kurkar cliff appears between Ashkelon and Hadera, and in several sections is located just 10-30 meters from the sea. The cliff creates a beautiful shoreline with unique habitats along its rugged slopes and curved wadis. Some beautiful plants inhabit the slopes, such as ner halayla (beach evening primrose), and havatzelet hahof (sea daffodil).Above the cliff on the soft sandy soil lives a community of wildlife including turtles, hedgehogs, lizards, birds and even foxes. Unfortunately, this cliff is vulnerable and suffers from some major disturbances. As a matter of fact, the cliff gets partially ruined each year as it loses around 30 cm. of its wall, mainly in winter when the relentless waves hit it below and the rain weaken it from above.These natural forces have become even more destructive to the eolianite ridges as a result of human interference. Emerging marinas along the shore stop the movement of sand that once thickened the shore and kept the sea and its waves away from the cliff. The sea and waves get closer every year and bite off chunks of it. Residential buildings on the cliffs also weaken the foundations of the ridge wall.The rain itself creates erosion with vertical forces that scrape sand and soil from the cliff onto the shore. Sometimes big boulders collapse from the top of the cliff onto the sandy shore below. Of course, this can be very dangerous and has already caused one fatality here in Israel. Some efforts are planned to save the cliff as much as possible, In the meantime we can enjoy its beauty while carefully standing a few extra steps back from its danger.
