“The sea gives us life — the least we can do is protect the lives that begin on its shore.”
For nine years, I’ve walked the sands of Mansouri Beach, a small stretch of Lebanon’s southern coast — now officially declared a Hima, a community-protected area. But for me, it’s more than just a protected zone. It’s a nursery of life. A sacred place where Loggerhead Turtles (Caretta caretta) and Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas) return year after year to lay their eggs.
Every nest we protect, every hatchling we guide to the sea, is a small act of resistance — against pollution, overdevelopment, and the careless destruction of nature.
🧤 I’ve cradled injured turtles in my arms.
🌊 I’ve documented illegal construction trying to erase this beach.
🗣️ I’ve spoken out in courtrooms, on TV, and to schoolchildren.
Why? Because these turtles don’t have a voice — but I do. And I will continue to speak up until their safety is guaranteed.
Mansouri isn’t just my home — it’s theirs.
This Hima belongs to every creature that depends on it.
Let it be known: when you harm the beach, you harm its heartbeat.
🌿 Let us all be guardians.
For the turtles. For our coast. For generations to come.
#HimaMansouri #Fadia Jomaa #SeaTurtlesLebanon #Loggerhead #CheloniaMydas #MarineConservation #SPNL #OneHimaAtATime #SaveOurCoast #NatureDefender
Loggerhead Turtles (Caretta caretta) have large heads and powerful jaws, ideal for crushing hard-shelled prey like crabs and mollusks. Their shells are reddish-brown.
Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas) have smaller heads, smooth olive-colored shells, and are primarily herbivores, feeding on seagrasses and algae — which gives their fat a greenish tint and their name.
Both species face serious threats:
– Habitat loss from coastal development
– Pollution and plastic ingestion
– Entanglement in fishing nets
– Illegal poaching of eggs and adults
Places like Hima Mansouri Beach provide crucial nesting grounds, but they remain under threat without active protection and awareness.
Nesting season in Lebanon typically runs from May to September. Female turtles come ashore at night to dig nests and lay around 80–120 eggs. After about 50–60 days, hatchlings emerge and instinctively crawl toward the sea. Conservation teams like those led by Fadia Jouma monitor these nests to ensure the hatchlings make it safely to the water.
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