Mansouri Beach

Turtle Bay – Mansouri Beach

Located about 3 kilometers away, Turtle Bay—together with the Tyre Nature Reserve and the Rabbit Island in the north—forms one of the last remaining sanctuaries for sea turtles in Lebanon.

For more than ten years, the bay has been protected through a pioneering individual effort by Mrs. Mona El-Khalil (55 years old), who has dedicated herself to obtaining an official decree to transform this still-pristine stretch of Mansouri Beach—known by locals as “Turtle Bay”—into a fully recognized nature reserve.

Mona collaborates with several Italian, Greek, and British non-governmental organizations that provide training and guidance to her team. She is also supported by Lebanese and international volunteers who work tirelessly to protect the nests during the egg-laying season, which lasts about four months, until the hatching period begins. The nesting season starts in May and continues until August.