The Turtles of the Arabian Gulf

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/096a57_9455d95e5d6047e49a9ec05cc3dd96c7/720p/mp4/file.mp4

Just a few clips from my time spent in the Jumeriah Turtle Sanctuary, a place of true and heartfelt animal conservation.

With 6/7 species of marine turtle currently endangered, it’s down to the final conservation efforts of organisations like these to make sure these lives don’t become memories.

As you can see, these turtles all have an inability to survive in the wild. The turtles of the Arabian Gulf, are like no other; surviving at the limits of thier liveable ranges with water temperatures of the gulf ranging between 17-35°C. But, they have adapted and evolved to overcome these barriers. However; what they cannot overcome is the barriers we continue to put in their natural path.

2 of these green turtles (the larger of the two species seen in the clips), have been hit in boat collisions, damaging their carapace (shell). These turtles can barely swim, and will never return to the wild. Another, caught in illegal fishing nets, has completely paralysed hind limbs, and will never return to the wild. Rising sea levels are destroying turtle nests, drowning juvenile turtles before they make their journey across the beach.

The hawksbill turtles seen in the clips (the smaller of the two species), have a 100% chance of ingesting plastic which slows them down. Limpets and algae then grow upon them, weighing them down, causing them to drown.

The sanctuary have successfully healed over 30 turtles and returned them to their natural habitat. We have followed their migration paths and one turtle has made it half way across the world in 4 months. Another has found a new nesting site in Oman.

Although these turtles are well ‘ard and are amazing adaptors, Jumeriah Turtle Sanctuary asks you to start by picking up your litter from our beaches.