Ten sea turtles from the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project (DTRP) located at Madinat Jumeirah have been shifted to the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo for the summer. The temporary visitors can be seen at the aquarium throughout August and September.
The turtles normally reside in the luxurious surroundings of the Jumeirah Al Naseem turtle lagoon, but checked out at the start of August in search of cooler climes and a little shopping. They are now settling in to the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo – part of Emaar Entertainment, the leisure and entertainment subsidiary of Emaar Properties – which is located in the world’s largest shopping mall, The Dubai Mall.
The collaboration is as a result of a partnership between DTRP and the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo.
The DTRP based at Burj Al Arab Jumeirah and Jumeirah Al Naseem , transferred the 10 sea turtles that are in the final stages of their three month rehabilitation. The animals were all rescued earlier in the year from the shores of the Arabian Gulf with a range of injuries, the most common types include carapace (shell) damage from boat strikes and limb loss from fishing lines and net entanglement.
Warren Baverstock, Burj Al Arab Jumeirah’s aquarium operations manager, said: “The exhibit at Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, which highlights DTRP’s rehabilitation efforts is designed to educate the many visitors to Dubai Aquarium, located within The Dubai Mall, on the plight of these turtles. After a three month rehabilitation period, the turtles will be returned to our aquarium, fitted with a satellite tag and then released back into the Arabian Gulf.”
As part of Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo’s ongoing commitment to raising awareness and supporting ongoing wildlife and environmental protection, the joint initiative aims at educating visitors about turtles, their habitats and global conservation efforts in the fight against extinction – as well as inform the public on steps they can take to help ensure the longevity of turtles, and how we can reduce human impact on marine life on a global scale.
Paul Hamilton, curator and general manager, Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo said: “Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo team members are ambassadors for the turtles on display and will spend the summer months interacting with visitors to help them understand more about these endangered animals and what brought them to the facility. We’re truly invested in aiding the rehabilitation of the turtles, in order for them to be able to return to the wild, and humbled that Dubai Aquarium is playing a vital part in the final stages of their recovery and spreading the message of their conservation and protection.”
From the October 1 they will return to the lagoon at Jumeirah Al Naseem before being returned into the Arabian Gulf in November. These turtles will be fitted with satellite tracking technology so that their movements in the wild can be tracked.
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