image sourced from original article at A rare and critically endangered leatherback sea turtle was found dead on the beach in Herzliya, marking an unusual and troubling discovery along Israel’s coast. The highly decayed carcass is believed to show signs of entanglement in fishing gear, particularly longlines equipped with multiple hooks. The finding occurred on the same day a sperm whale washed ashore in southern Israel, though the two incidents are not thought to be connected.
According to the Sea Turtle Rescue Center at the Nature and Parks Authority, leatherbacks do not breed in the Mediterranean and migrate to the region from the Atlantic Ocean. The most common cause of death for the species is ingestion of plastic debris, followed by entanglement in fishing equipment. A previous leatherback found dead in Israel in 2022 was also linked to fishing gear.
Leatherbacks have been documented in Israel only 36 times over the past 70 years, with most arriving already dead. In a rare survival case in 2024, a female discovered entangled in fishing gear was treated and released back into the sea after losing part of a flipper.
