Israel’s Turtle Population Surges Thanks to Conservation Efforts

Beaches, rivers, and streams are popular summer destinations. These waterways boast idyllic and panoramic views, surf and sand. At the same time, mankind’s favorite marine getaways are also cherished by the other flora and fauna that share the planet’s coasts and seashores.

In Israel, for example, beachgoing season, Ynet reports, coincides annually with turtle egg-laying and hatching season. In recent years, thanks to Israeli conservation efforts, the nation’s reptilian population has seen a major increase, with some turtle species even graduating from the Israeli Nature Authority’s critically-endangered species list.

Softshell Turtles
Softshell turtles are Israeli natives with a lifespan of about 50 years that inhabit the coastal streams and riverbanks of the small Mediterranean nation. Decades of water and habitat changes have unfortunately earned these animals a place on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s critical-endangered species list.

In Israel, softshell turtles nest in streams and rivers between May and July, where they lay clutches of approximately 20-60 eggs. In recent years, the Israeli Nature and Parks Authority, led by aquatic habitat ecologist Dana Milstein, has taken intensive steps to patrol, fence off, and guard nesting sites. 

A Population Resurgence
Largely as a result of these policies, the softshell turtle population in Israel experienced a major boom, even allowing the species to move from the Israeli Nature and Parks Authority’s critically-endangered list to merely endangered.

Milstein tells Ynet that, “If between 2018 and 2025 we recorded 77 to 113 nests per year in Israel, this year we passed 160 nests.” She added that, “Nothing like this has ever happened in Israel. We are also suddenly seeing egg-laying in places where we had never seen it before.” 

For example, Milstein explains, “There has been a dramatic increase in nesting, especially at Nahal Na’aman. In the past, there were about 10 nests there per season, and today we have passed 60 nests. Something is happening there.” 

The record-breaking turtle nesting season, ecologist Liav Shalem says, demonstrates the impact of longstanding efforts to restore the Yarkon River. “We are very happy to see the softshell turtle nests. We carried out restoration work at the site, which enabled the return of the softshell turtle to nesting areas.”

Loggerhead Sea Turtle Conservation
Softshell turtles aren’t the only beachgoing reptiles experiencing a revival in Israel, Ynet reports. The country has also spearheaded efforts, for the last 26 years, to protect loggerhead and green sea turtles, establishing programs to research, rehabilitate, and protect these threatened species. 

In fact, Israel is home to the world’s only sea turtle breeding program, wherein nests are incubated in protected sites and the hatchlings are reintroduced back to the seas.

Yaniv Levy, director of the National Sea Turtle Rescue Center, shares with Ynet that, “Hatching season is one of the most exciting and significant periods of the year for us. Every hatchling that reaches the sea represents a chance for a better future for Israel’s sea turtles.”

Thanks to restored habitats, rehabilitation programs, and protected nesting sites, Israel’s turtles are making a comeback. The effort demonstrates how beaches can welcome all in the summers, whether they come with flippers or with feet.