Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Jun 23, 2025

On Beaches Quieted By The Pandemic, Lebanon Sees Sea Turtle Boom

On Beaches Quieted By The Pandemic, Lebanon Sees Sea Turtle Boom

As Lebanon reels from multiple tragedies, conservationists are pointing to one bright spot. They say a record number of endangered green sea turtles have come to nest on the country's shores.

Lebanon's capital, Beirut, remains devastated by the massive explosion at the city's port last month. The country is in the depths of an economic collapse, and the coronavirus is spreading.

But as Lebanon reels from multiple tragedies, conservationists are pointing to one bright spot. They say a record number of endangered green sea turtles have come to nest on the country's shores. Loggerhead turtles have also come in large numbers.

Seventy-two-year-old Mona Khalil has spent the last 20 years defending a small piece of shoreline, less than a mile long, from the factories and private beach clubs that now carpet almost all of Lebanon's coastline.

Al-Mansouri Beach is now one of Lebanon's most important breeding grounds for turtles. Every nesting season, Khalil and a team of volunteers count turtle's nests. They watch over them - protecting them from foxes and other animals and from humans — and then help the hatchlings on their journey back to the sea.

The last time Khalil saw an increase in the number of green sea turtle nests was during another crisis in Lebanon — the war with Israel in 2006. Israeli gunboats floated just off shore of the beach. "The beach was deserted," she recalls.



Even back then, she only counted nine green sea turtle nests. This year, she has counted 20. "It's amazing!" she says. "We haven't had this number in two decades. It's really something that is important for the world and not just for Lebanon."

Khalil says this is also a good year for loggerhead turtles after years of decline. She has counted 16 nests.

Ali Badreddine, a consultant for a marine turtle conservation project supported by Lebanon's ministry of the environment, says his team has recorded greater numbers of turtle nests at the several other important beaches along the country's coastline.

Badreddine says protecting these endangered turtles and their offspring is a real challenge in the face of fishing, where they become entangled in nets; trash dumped into the Mediterranean Sea; and uncontrolled coastal development.

Khalil has dedicated much of her life to fighting these challenges. Living in a small, orange home near the beach, she says she has risked her life standing up to local residents who used to use dynamite to fish just off the shore.

"I have been shot at. They have tried to burn down my house," she says. "They have done so many things just because I managed to stop this."


Volunteers watch over sea turtle hatchlings as they make their way down the beach in Lebanon.


In recent years, Khalil fought against the construction of the Palagio Beach Resort, a club that sits right on this small strip of beach.

The area has been declared a "community-protected zone," a designation that restricts the type of construction allowed in the area. An investigation by Lebanon's Daily Star newspaper found that the planning permission documents had allowed only for a residential complex at the site of the resort.

Khalil said corruption and financial interests from top politicians in the country meant the resort was built regardless. The resort did not respond to NPR's repeated requests for comment.

This year, Khalil says, the pandemic and economic crisis in Lebanon meant that the resort remained closed throughout the summer. "They put off their lights and we got back our turtles," she says.

Nesting mother turtles need the cover of darkness to climb up the beach, and hatchlings are thought to navigate to the sea by the light of the moon. Khalil says lights from the resort can confuse them, causing them to scurry up the beach instead of toward the water.

"The turtles have a right to this beach. They are in the right. This has been their beach for the last 250 million years, long before humans existed," she says, the emotion telling in her voice.

"Who are we to kick them out? They are only asking for a short season to nest. I don't understand why people can't respect this."

"This year was a great year," she says. "But I am not hopeful for the future."

Lebanon is not the only country that has seen signs of recovery in nesting turtle populations during the global pandemic.

As people have retreated from beaches around the world, conservationists in Phuket, Thailand, found more leatherback turtle nests than at any point in the last two decades.

There have been significant increases of endangered leatherback sea turtles as well as loggerhead turtles in Florida.

And in northern India, thousands of olive ridley sea turtle hatchlings took advantage of nearly empty beaches to make their crossing to the sea.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Black Box Recovered from Air India Crash Site
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Global News Roundup: From Ukraine's strategic military strikes and Russia's demands and Tensions Escalate in Ukraine, to serious legal issues faced by Britons in Bali and Trump's media criticism, the latest developments highlight a turbulent landscape
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
×