Touring Israel with a tour guide

#ImagineIsraelTours #SimonOsterTourGuideIsrael Israel’s Marbled Stingrays Just this month, dozens of Marbled Stingrays were spotted gathering in shallow water off Shavei Zion Beach in the Western Galilee. Could it have been a courtship gathering? 🥽 Did you know? Rays are close relatives of sharks. Both have skeletons made of cartilage rather than bone. The Marbled Stingray is critically endangered in the Mediterranean. Rosh Hanikra & Palmahim are among the places where divers & snorkellers may encounter rays. If you spot one: admire it from a distance. Never chase, touch or disturb a ray, & keep your fins off the seabed. Have you ever been snorkelling in Israel's waters? If not, book us for an unimaginable underwater adventure! 👇 📩 imagineisraelenquiries@gmail.com 📲 Phone/WhatsApp: +972 54 2390412 🌐 https://imagineisrael-tours.com/ #IsraelNature #RaysOfIsrael #MarineConservation #MediterraneanSea #WildlifeIsrael #SnorkelingIsrael #RoshHanikra #VisitIsrael  ...

#ImagineIraelTours #SimonOsterTourGuideIsrael Simon says: "Let's discover the Painted Lady butterfly" (נמפית החורשף) One of nature's most astonishing journeys happens right over our heads in Israel. The Painted Lady is the world's longest-distance butterfly migrant, traveling from Africa to the Arctic & back in an intergenerational relay. Why they matter: Every few years, millions of these butterflies sweep through Israel in spring, heading north from Africa. They don't survive the round trip, but their offspring do, continuing the cycle. In 2019, an estimated 10 million crossed into Israel in a single migration event. They arrive in Israel to refuel on spring flowers before continuing toward Cyprus, Turkey & eventually Europe. The peak window is typically mid-April to mid-May. They're remarkably resilient; in drought years, they adapt by relying on human-planted gardens & farms. Quick facts: • Each butterfly lives a maximum of 5 weeks & ca...

#ImagineIsraelTours #SimonOsterTourGuideIsrael 🐈‍⬛ The swamp cat It’s called the swamp cat, reed cat or jungle cat, but in Hebrew, it’s חתול ביצות (chatul bitzot). Meet Felis chaus, one of Israel’s most elusive wild cats! Despite its name, it doesn’t need a jungle. It prefers places with water & plenty of cover, including reed beds, riverbanks, streams & fish ponds. You might find it around the Hula Valley or along Israel’s rivers, but spotting one is another matter entirely! 🌿 Here’s a surprise: the jungle cats of the Middle East are generally larger than their eastern relatives. A male can weigh up to 13–14 kg, considerably bigger than your average moggy! 🐈 Long legs, large pointed ears & excellent hunting skills make this cat perfectly adapted to life in the wild. It catches rodents, birds & fish & it’s a capable swimmer, too. But there’s a serious side to this story. Although the species is listed as Least Concern globally, it is classified as Vulnerable in ...

#ImagineIsraelTours #SimonOsterTourGuideIsrael 🐦‍⬛ The hooded crow Look up in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa or even parts of the Negev & you’ll probably spot one! The hooded crow (Corvus cornix) is one of Israel’s most familiar birds, with its distinctive grey body, black head, wings & tail. Its Hebrew name is עורב אפור (orev afur) - literally, “grey crow”. And clever? Absolutely! Crows can learn, solve problems & recognise individual people. They’re also experts at finding food wherever humans leave it lying around. Bins, picnic leftovers… nothing is quite safe! 😉 Bold, noisy & wonderfully adaptable, hooded crows are familiar sights in Israel’s parks, towns & countryside. They’re here throughout the year, making them an easy bird to spot, even if you’ve never tried birdwatching before. Next time you see one, take a moment to watch. That bird investigating your picnic might be more observant than you think! Want to meet Israel's wildlife up close? Get in touch ...

#ImagineIsraelTours #simonostertourguideisrael The Cicada orni (Ash Cicada) Israel is home to nearly 300 species of cicada - out of around 1,300 known worldwide - & more are constantly being discovered. That's roughly 1 in 4 of all the cicadas on Earth, buzzing away in a country the size of a postage stamp! You've almost certainly heard them before you've seen them. That deafening wall of sound on a hot summer afternoon? That's the males. They're not singing for our benefit, they're advertising. Loudly. Relentlessly. With the romantic subtlety of a car alarm! And here's the strange part: most of their lives are spent underground. Cicada nymphs can live beneath the soil for years, feeding on plant roots, before emerging for a brief adult life above ground, sometimes just a few weeks. All that time underground, for a few weeks of shouting in the sun. Israel's cicadas turn up everywhere: in the Jerusalem Hills, the Galilee, the coastal plain.... &...

#ImagineIsraelTours #SimonOsterTourGuide Bottlenose dolphins When you think of Israel, you might picture ancient stones, desert landscapes & bustling cities. But down in Eilat, the Red Sea is home to something rather special - dolphins! At Dolphin Reef Eilat, a pod of bottlenose dolphins lives in a large natural seawater enclosure connected to the open sea. The dolphins are not trained to perform shows, & visitors can watch them from the piers or join guided snorkelling & diving experiences. The emphasis is on observing the dolphins rather than chasing or touching them, giving visitors the chance to experience these beautiful animals in a more natural setting. And dolphins aren't only found in the Red Sea… Israel's Mediterranean coast has a resident population of common bottlenose dolphins. Researchers have been studying them for decades, identifying individuals by distinctive markings on their dorsal fins & following their movements along the coast. So yes - do...

#ImagineIsraelTours #SimonOsterTourGuideIsrael The Canaan Dog This is a breed with roots deeper than the Bible itself! Unlike many modern breeds, the Canaan Dog isn't a human invention; it's a natural survivor. For thousands of years, these intelligent & loyal dogs roamed this exact Land, thriving in the desert climate & guarding ancient flocks. In fact, they are so intertwined with the history of this region that they are often called the "living fossils" of the canine world. They were even used as messenger dogs during the 1948 War of Independence! From the Negev to the Galilee, this breed represents the resilience & ancient spirit of Israel. Want to explore the ancient landscapes where the Canaan Dog once roamed? 📩 imagineisraelenquiries@gmail.com 📲 Phone/WhatsApp: +972 54 2390412 to book your custom tour with Imagine Israel Tours. 🌐 https://imagineisrael-tours.com/ Let’s walk through history together! #canaandog #israeli #israeltravel #holyland ...

Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) #ImagineIsraelTours #SimonOsterTourGuideIsrael Known in Hebrew as Zanav Snunit Na'eh (the "beautiful swallowtail"), t his is Israel's largest butterfly, with a wingspan reaching up to 8 centimetres. Its wings are yellow with grey & black patterns, & a striking blue band with a bold red spot on the hindwings. The signature "tails" - the long, pointed extensions on the hindwings that give swallowtails their name - resemble the forked tail of a swallow. It's common across Israel's Mediterranean region, appearing in spring & summer. Females lay eggs on aromatic plants such as rue, carrot, parsley & citrus trees. We can see them in: Hof HaSharon National Park Ramat Hanadiv, a Mediterranean nature park with butterfly monitoring programmes Butterfly Lake Park, Karmiel; 15 dunams with 180 plant species designed to attract butterflies Mount Hermon; home to rare high-altitude species The best time to go i...

#ImagineIsraelTours #SimonOsterTourGuideIsrael Simon says: "Have you met Israel's national bird?" It has a punk-rock crown, a long curved beak & an attitude all its own. The Eurasian Hoopoe (Duchifat in Hebrew) was chosen as Israel's national bird in 2008, 60 years after declaring independence, following the departure of the British occupation. The Hoopoe is mentioned in the Bible, listed among the unclean birds in Leviticus/Vayikra 11:19. It's been part of this Land's story for millennia. Jewish folklore gives it a starring role: King Solomon supposedly sent the Hoopoe to find the shamir - a magical worm capable of cutting stone without iron, so the Temple could be built without tools of war. In the Talmud, it's called tarnegola bara -"wild rooster" - because of its feathery crest . King Solomon gave every Hoopoe a golden crown as thanks for shielding him from the desert sun. The birds grew so vain they'd stop to admire themselves in ev...

The Ushpizim #ImagineIsraelTours #SimonOsterTourGuideIsrael Simon says: "Who are the guests in your sukkah?" During Sukkot, we don't just invite friends & family into our sukkah, we also welcome 7 very special guests. They're called the Ushpizin (Aramaic for "guests"), the 7 'shepherds of Israel' who, according to Kabbalistic tradition, visit every sukkah during the seven days of the festival. Who are they? Abraham: the embodiment of kindness & hospitality Isaac: strength & judgment Jacob: beauty & balance Moses: victory & leadership Aaron: splendor & peace Joseph: connection & abundance David : majesty & kingship Each night, a different guest "leads" the others into the sukkah. On the first night, Abraham enters first. On the second, Isaac. And so on through the week. The Zohar teaches that when we leave our homes & enter the sukkah for the sake of Heaven, we merit to welcome the Divine Presence, ...