An exciting encounter with a rare sea turtle took place in the Gulf of Eilat. Meron Segev, a volunteer with the Nature and Parks Authority, documented his encounter with a brown sea turtle, also known as a loggerhead turtle, on the northern coast of Eilat. This is an event that has only happened three times in the area in the past.
The turtle was resting on the unique seaweed on the beach, and suddenly Segev spotted it. "This is the first time I've been able to document a brown sea turtle in Eilat, and it's a very rare encounter," Segev said.
Rare brown sea turtle discovered off coast of Eilat
(Video: eron Segev,volunteer, Nature and Parks Authority)
Omri Yossef Omessi, a ranger in the marine unit of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority in Eilat, said: "In Eilat, the species is considered very rare. The first recording was of a brown sea turtle that laid two nests on the northern beaches of Eilat in 2021. I was privileged to record the hatchlings' exit on their way back to the sea, and it was a very moving sight. The second recording was of a young brown sea turtle that was collected by the marine police and released after treatment in the coral reserve. A third observation recorded a young individual that was caught in Aqaba and released."
Segev's current recording is of an adult female. Omessi believes that this is the same turtle that laid eggs in Eilat in 2021.
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Rare brown sea turtle swimming off coast of Eilat
(Photo: Meron Segev Nature and Parks Authority)
Brown sea turtles lay eggs every two to three years, usually on the beaches where they hatched. They lay 3-6 eggs at a single time in several clutches per season.
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Brown sea turtles are at risk of extinction due to damage from fishing nets, marine and plastic pollution, and coastal development that damages their nesting sites. These observations highlight the importance of preserving the brown turtle population on Israel's coasts.
The Nature and Parks Authority adds that the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is a species of sea turtle from the oceanic turtle family. It is a common but threatened species worldwide, playing an important role in the marine ecosystem. Their length ranges from 70 cm to 120 cm, and they can weigh between 100 kg and 135 kg. Their bodies are adapted for prolonged swimming, and their large heads allow them to crack open clams and mollusks. These turtles live 50 to 67 years and feed on jellyfish, crabs, mollusks, fish and seaweed. They are common in tropical and subtropical waters in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans.