Five sea turtles return to nature after rehabilitation, Israel Nature and Parks Authority announces

The Israel Nature and Parks Authority released five rehabilitated sea turtles at Beit Yanai National Park beach on Friday, September 11, 2026. The turtles—Miriam, Chapa, Matzav, Ran, and Nidal—spent months at the National Sea Turtle Rescue Center recovering from limb injuries caused by entanglement in plastic bags. About 250 people, mostly families, watched the release. The authority urged the public to report entangled turtles rather than removing debris themselves. The release coincided with around 50,000 visitors touring nature reserves during the Rosh Hashanah holiday.

The Israel Nature and Parks Authority released five rehabilitated sea turtles back into the sea at Beit Yanai National Park beach on Friday, September 11, 2026. The turtles—named Miriam, Chapa, Matzav, Ran, and Nidal—spent recent months at the National Sea Turtle Rescue Center receiving veterinary care after arriving with limb injuries caused by entanglement in plastic bags. About 250 people, mostly families and children, gathered to watch the release near the shoreline, designed to help the turtles reach the water quickly. The authority emphasized that anyone who finds an injured or dead sea turtle must report it to its hotline (*3639) and instructed the public not to remove strings or plastic waste from turtles, but instead to bring the turtle along with the entangling material to the rescue center. The authority noted it has received reports of numerous sea turtles washing ashore entangled in plastic bags, and that some people who found them removed the material themselves and returned them to the sea, contrary to instructions. The release coincided with around 50,000 visitors touring nature reserves and national parks during the Rosh Hashanah holiday, with popular sites including Habonim Nature Reserve, Ashkelon National Park, Ein Hemed National Park, and Yarkon Tel Afek National Park. Around 2,600 people spent Rosh Hashanah Eve at the authority's overnight campgrounds, with Tel Dan and Achziv being the most popular locations.