Rose heads out to sea in eastern Tunisia. More than a month ago, she had become entangled in fishing nets before being taken to the "Sea Turtle First Aid Center" in Sfax (central-eastern Tunisia), a member of the European "Life Med Turtles" program, one of two of its kind in Tunisia along with the one in Monastir (eastern Tunisia). In North Africa, these are the only care facilities for the loggerhead turtle, or Caretta Caretta by its scientific name, the most widespread species in the Mediterranean and one of the most at-risk. Now, at the Sfax Care Center, it's often the fishermen who bring in the injured Caretta Caretta, recognizable by their enormous heads. Due to heavy pollution of their habitat, Caretta Caretta absorb toxic metals such as mercury, which can harm human health.

Source: The North Africa Journal November 13, 2023 10:55 UTC