Electric Company Workers Rescue Injured Sea Turtle at Ashkelon Power Plant

Employees at the Rotenberg Power Plant in Ashkelon rescued an injured sea turtle that had been swept into the plant's cooling system on August 4, 2026. The turtle was carefully removed after workers halted operations in the area and coordinated with the National Sea Turtle Rescue Center of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. Until a volunteer from the "Shamartzavot" group arrived, the workers maintained the turtle in shaded conditions and monitored its body temperature.

The rescued turtle, a young green sea turtle weighing approximately 2.5 kilograms, was named "Babchok" and transferred to the rescue center for medical evaluation and rehabilitation. The Israel Electric Corporation explained that healthy sea turtles typically avoid being drawn into cooling systems, so the presence of a turtle usually indicates it is injured or weakened and in need of immediate help.

The Nature and Parks Authority urged the public to report any sea turtles found in distress by calling their hotline at *3639 and to await instructions from professional teams before intervening.