Travel
Nahal
Taninim
is saline and
the cleanest of Israel's coastal rivers. Shady, sparkling, with a
fantastic
flow, it contains 14 kinds of fish, sea turtles, toads, frogs, crabs
and sea
otters. Sea otters can only live in uncontaminated water, and on the
Israeli
coast are found only in Nahal Taninim. It was wonderful to spot the
different
birds from the lovely viewing points and paths in the park. There was
also a
multitude of delightful plants and flowers in many sizes, shapes, and
colors.
We
loved this
park – it is an enjoyable mix between history and nature and is
beautifully
maintained. The name Crocodile Creek dates
as
far back as the Third
Crusade,
during which crocodiles devoured two knights who were bathing in
the river. Yikes! The last recorded sighting of a crocodile was in
1912, but we
opted to remain out of the water just in case there was one still
lurking about
waiting for delicious musicians!
Aside
from the
wildlife, there is a Roman aqueduct as well as a beautiful and
impressive stone
dam built in the late Roman-Byzantine period that created an
approximately
6,000 dunam lake. In the Byzantine era, local residents took advantage
of the
dam and abundance of water to operate over a dozen flour mills. There
is even a
vertical waterwheel from that early period. Rare in Israel because they
require
a great deal of water, the few vertical waterwheels so far uncovered in
this
country date back only to the Crusades. By the way, it is also actually
possible - and safe - to wade through the aqueduct.
The
Taninim
River is the last naturally unpolluted river in the whole coastal area,
and we
found the site to be both engaging and relaxing. We highly recommend a
visit.
Oh,
and thank
you Larry for the lovely birthday surprise! ??