Watch 44 cute turtles being released into the sea
When the lovely people at the Jumeriah Group asked us to go and join them for an early morning cup of tea and to help release some cute turtles back into the sea, we jumped at the chance.
The Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Programme (DTRP) released 44 Hawksbill turtles back into the wild (the sea between Pierchic and the Burj Al Arab) early this morning. The DTRP is a collaboration between the Jumeirah Group and the Wildlife Protection Office with essential veterinary support provided by Dubai Falcon Clinic & CVRL. Together, they have three main objectives: education, conservation and scientific research.
Currently, the Hawksbill turtle, which is native to the Arabian Gulf, is a protected species with only 8,000 nesting females left in world. The DTRP quarantine and then nurture distressed or unwell turtles back to good health. This process usually takes about six months.
Once released, the turtles will either go left up the Gulf towards Kuwait or the slightly braver ones will take a right towards the Burj Al Arab and head towards Oman. The DTRP use satellite tagging on the turtles to track their movements across the gulf. If you’re interested in following the tracking yourself you can do it here.
For more information on how you can get involved check out their Facebook , Instagram or website page.