A Sea Turtle Hospital and Educational Center: A first look at the new rescue facility

The National Sea Turtle Rescue Center, newly established in the Nahal Alexander National Park, opened to the general public starting on the 19th of the month. The center, built with an investment of about NIS 30 million, combines a sea turtle hospital with modern operating rooms, an acclimation area for injured turtles, an educational center, and a breeding nucleus for green sea turtles.

The Israel Nature and Parks Authority noted that since this is an active hospital, the public will be allowed a glimpse into the daily work of the medical team, but the opening of the visitor center is gradual to avoid disrupting treatment. Entry requires advance registration, and the admission fee for an adult is about NIS 40, pending final approval. Until the end of January, the center will open in a trial period during which visitor capacity will be limited, and the Authority hopes that by April it will be fully open throughout the week.

The visitor route at the center lasts about an hour and a quarter, allowing visitors to observe all stages of treating the sea turtles. The visit begins with a short film following the journey of an injured female sea turtle that was treated and rehabilitated at the center thanks to three teenagers, before being released back into the sea. Visitors will then be exposed to the medical team – a professional expert team of about eight employees and dozens of volunteers from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority – and to the daily work routine at the center.

Visitors will also be able to learn about the unique breeding nucleus, peek into the hospital, and learn about turtle rehabilitation, the strengthening of the green sea turtle population, and the importance of preserving the marine and coastal environment.

The Director-General of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Raya Shourky, noted: “I am very excited to present to the public a project that we have worked on for years with great care and sensitivity. The center is a unique site unlike any other in Israel, and visitors will be able to see an active hospital and immerse themselves in the special and vital world of sea turtle rescue.”

Dr. Yaniv Levy, Director of the National Sea Turtle Rescue Center, added that the center’s activities combine medical treatment for turtles with the breeding nucleus, various research projects, educational guidance, and increasing environmental awareness, and that all of this is now being made accessible to the general public for the first time.

Over the past year, about 170 sea turtles were admitted to the hospital, most of them injured by fishing hooks, nets, and explosive devices. Dr. Levy estimated that about 70% of the turtles brought in for rehabilitation will gradually be returned to nature upon completing their recovery process.