Sea turtle rescued in Israel released into wild

More than a dozen endangered sea turtles rescued from serious injuries in the Mediterranean have been scuttled off a beach in Israel after months of medical care.

The 15 loggerhead and two green turtles were released into the wild after months of rehabilitation at a turtle rescue center in central Israel.

Each was taken to a facility run by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and suffered various physical traumas during the winter, possibly caused by underwater explosives.

Sea turtle species are listed as threatened and endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, respectively, and are protected by Israeli law.

At the facility north of Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean coast, the seafaring reptiles received months of intensive care, starting with antibiotics and fluids.

Before releasing the turtles, biologists determined that “we didn’t make any mistakes and we were bringing the turtles back into the wild in 100 percent health,” said Yaniv Levy, a turtle ecologist who manages the center.

After cleaning, measuring and weighing them, the scientists glued satellite tags to several people’s shells so they could monitor the turtles’ location and continue to study their behavior in the wild.