Betzet
Israel Sea Turtle Tracking Project 2008: Loggerhead & Green Turtles
A project of Israel's Sea Turtle Rescue Center.
 click map for full-size version Betzet (Loggerhead) is 2 km N of the coast of Egypt and 146 km from Gaza (32.968 E 31.127 N)
|
Full-Size Map (122KB)
Zoom Map (34KB)
Species: Loggerhead
Life Stage: Adult
Gender: Female
Release Date: 2010-06-23 00:00:00
Release Location: Betzet Nature reserve
Last Location: 2011-08-24 12:10:57
Background
Betzet, a female adult loggerhead sea turtle, is one of many, but not enough loggerheads who come ashore to nest these days on the Israeli Mediterranean coast. Why not enough? Well, all sea turtles species are globally endangered. The Israeli National Nature and Parks Authority is working for more than two decades for the conservation of sea turtles, and although low, due to conservation efforts, the loggerhead populationâs numbers are on the rise. When Betzet went back to sea, she did not return empty handed, but was equipped with a satellite transmitter attached to her carapace, thus contributing to research and conservation efforts.
Betzet is named after Betzet Beach, by Rosh HaNikra, in the north of Israel, where she came to nest. Since the sea turtlesâ gender is temperature determined during the incubation period, it is very likeable that Betzetâs offspring will be most if not all female. Yet, survival statistics are still low. Hopefully, research, such as the one conducted with satellite tracking, will teach us how to increase sea turtlesâ survival.
