Level: Free shore access This spot have a free shore access: you can go snorkeling there freely and without having to book a tour or pay an entrance fee.
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Last updated on November 10, 2023
Bat Yam is home to one of the only decent snorkeling spots in the Tel Aviv area. While this part of the coast, lined with long sandy beaches, is very exposed to surf, HaSela Beach is protected by a large rock pool.
Shallow and sheltered, it allows snorkelers to observe the local sea life in relatively safe conditions. Exploring the rocky areas, you may spot a variety of fish including wrasse, seabream, bass, spinefoot and red mullet.
Bat Yam is a city located on the Mediterranean coast of Israel, just south of Tel Aviv. By car, it takes about 15 minutes to reach it from the center of Jaffa, and about 20 minutes from Tel Aviv seafront.
This spot is facing HaSela Beach. It is easy to find as it is sheltered by a large rock pool. Once on the promenade, go down to the beach by the stairs descending to Villa Mare restaurant.
We advise you to enter the water in front of Villa Mare restaurant. Getting into the water is easy, from a gently slopping sandy beach.
The best snorkeling conditions are found in the morning. From 10-11 am, waves start breaking on the rocks and raise clouds of bubbles and sand in the pool. Snorkeling in the morning will also allow you to avoid crowds, as this beach is very popular.
You can snorkel throughout the rock pool, which is approximately 440 yards long and 165 yards wide. Be careful, however, not to get too close to the southwest corner of the pool, where there is an opening in the rock barrier (see map).
In the pool, depth does not exceed 6 to 9 ft. The best snorkeling area is at the foot of the small island (see map).This spot offers sheltered rocky areas in which many fish hide. Commonly sighted fish in these areas are zebra seabream, two-banded seabream, ornate wrasse, and the occasional juvenile dusky groupers sheltering under the rocks.
Nudibranchs from Goniobranchus annulatus species are also plentiful in the Bat Yam pool. This colorful Lessepsian migrant, native from the Red Sea, has recently invaded the warm waters of the southern Mediterranean.
The rocky areas on both sides of the pools support small fish from many species, but the water can be a bit rougher there. Among the common species in these shallow and oxygenated areas are marbled spinefoot and dusky spinefoot (which is also a Lessepsian migrant), wrasse and spotted seabass.
The sandy areas extending near the beach, are only visited by a few red mullets, and are not very interesting.
Several beach restaurants are located in HaSela Beach, including Villa Mare, Coast Long Beach and Tiki Moana. You will also find a choice of restaurants, cafes and supermarkets along the promenade which overlooks the beach.
These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
