The Maritime Rescue Unit of the Lebanese Civil Defense has rescued a huge sea turtle that was injured after colliding with a tourist boat’s engine off the coast of Jounieh, in the Keserwan District.
The Maritime Rescue Unit rushed to aid the sea turtle and moved it to the outer courtyard in front of the Civil Defense Center. An experienced professional was called to attend to the turtle’s injuries.
The sea creature is now reportedly in good condition.
According to the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL), Lebanon hosts two species of sea turtles that breed and swim off the country’s coast: the Green Turtle and the Loggerhead Turtle.
Early in 2020, the UN Environment monitored the presence of sea turtles along Lebanon’s south coastline, after they found 74 nests of Loggerheads and only 3 nests of green sea turtles.
Both are endangered internationally and in the Eastern Mediterranean. However, some are still breeding in south Lebanon.
Developments were implemented to protect the sea turtles, namely in Tyre Coast Nature Reserve and the Palm Islands Nature Reserve.
However despite the allocated efforts, as stated by the SPNL, “both species are highly vulnerable. They still face the threats of dynamite fishing, ensnarement in nets, loss of breeding habitat, and death from pollution.”
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