Where we work
United Arab Emirates
Satellite tags on rescued sea turtles released off the UAE showed that most survive and resume normal lives in the wild.
Every year, sick and injured sea turtles wash ashore in the United Arab Emirates. The Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project tracked rescued turtles by satellite after their release and found that most survive: 21 of 26 turtles lived for as long as they were tracked, including turtles that had lost a front flipper. One green turtle (Chelonia mydas), Dibba, swam 8,283 km (5,147 miles) to the Bay of Bengal after 546 days in care. Read more about the completed Sea Turtle Rescue and Recovery project.
Dr. David Robinson, then with the Jumeirah Group and the rehabilitation project, led two studies of these tracks, published in 2017 and 2021, and MMF’s Dr. Chris Rohner and Dr. Simon Pierce helped analyze the data. The tracks point to the coast between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where coral reefs and seagrass beds provide feeding grounds for both hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and green turtles, as an ideal place for targeted protection. Because so many turtles crossed borders, protecting them also requires countries around the region to work together.
Completed projects
Dubai and the Arabian Gulf, United Arab EmiratesSea Turtle Rescue and RecoverySatellite tracking of rescued and rehabilitated sea turtles showed that most survive and resume normal lives after release, and one green turtle swam 8,283 km (5,147 miles).What we work on
Turtles that had spent years in care, or had lost a flipper, resumed feeding on known grounds or undertook long migrations. The results therefore support releasing turtles that have recovered from major injuries, including amputations.
The tracked turtles that died after release were most likely killed by human activity: three were struck by boats within four days of release, and one was caught in a fishing net. Boat traffic and fishing remain the main threats to turtles in the Gulf.
News from the United Arab Emirates
Thank you to everyone who supports our work in the United Arab Emirates
Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project, Wildlife Protection Office, Dubai, Dubai Municipality, Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, Emirates Marine Environmental Group, Gulf Elasmo Project, Dubai Falcon Hospital, Central Veterinary Research Laboratory.