Characteristics of water level variations in the northern Levantine Sea have been investigated by reference to a sequence of hourly water level observations at Antalya and Iskenderun. Long and short period oscillations of non-tidal origin have been identified. Long-period oscillations (several days) correspond to variations in barometric pressure; the short-period oscillations (2.8 to 4.6 hours) can be attributed to seiche-like motions. The tidal oscillations are small in amplitude, with a spring range of 21 and 41 cm in Antalya and Iskenderun respectively. Tidal oscillations are dominated by semi-diurnal constituents. The seasonal fluctuations of monthly mean sea level show two maxima and two minima; the major minimum occurs in March and is followed by a major maximum in August. The maximum range between extremes is 17.3 cm for the average monthly mean sea level.