• Five out of the seven marine turtle species around the world are listed as Endangered.
  • A female turtle can lay up to 120 eggs in one nest and can nest up to 3-4 times in one season.
  • This project is currently tracking 75 female Hawksbill turtles from UAE, Oman, Qatar and Iran.
  • Fishermen can now use turtle excluder devices to prevent accidental capture of marine turtles.

Marine turtles are loved by many, but sadly their very existence is under threat due to the increasing pressures human activities are having on their environments, from habitat loss to unintentional capture in fisheries.

The Marine Turtle Conservation Project was launched in 2010 by Emirates Wildlife Society in association with WWF (EWS-WWF) to better understand the conservation needs of the turtles in the Gulf. This project is now in its third year and during the 2012 nesting season has tagged 31 turtles from across 3 countries.

Focusing its attention on the critically endangered Hawksbill (IUCN Red Listed), the project will in total monitor up to 75 post-nesting female turtles from the region using satellite tracking. Turtles depend on coastal habitats, including coral reefs for feeding and beaches for nesting, and this project will help in identifying important migratory routes and foraging grounds in the region.

And the winner is...
Date 07/11/2012 - 11:51

Tens of Thousands of Turtle Lovers Cheer on Murjana as She Crosses the Finish Line of The Great Gulf Turtle Race

Record numbers of fans support the EWS-WWF Marine Turtle Conservation Project

Emirates Wildlife Society in association with WWF (EWS-WWF) has announced this year’s winner of The Great Gulf Turtle Race, which has roused enormous public support for turtle conservation in the region. The race has come to a close after four weeks, and one turtle has been crowned the...

On Your Marks…Get Set…SWIM!
Date 06/11/2012 - 12:57

The EWS-WWF Great Gulf Turtle Race returns once again this year and is promising to be even more exciting than last year with 28 turtle contestants.

Emirates Wildlife Society in association with WWF (EWS-WWF) is excited to launch the second year of its Great Gulf Turtle Race, as part of its Marine Turtle Conservation Project.

This four-week light-hearted race serves as an interactive platform for the UAE community and beyond to learn about the plight of Hawksbill turtles in...

2012 Turtle Tagging Begins!
Date 05/16/2012 - 11:51

Our turtle team has just commenced the 2012 tagging trips in the Gulf as we enter the third year of the Marine Turtle Conservation Project, during which we aim to tag 31 post-nesting Hawksbills this year.

From our 2011 cohort of turtles, 10 transmitters are still sending signals: Rayhana, who was tagged in Oman, has been sending us signals for more than 377 days, exceeding expectations and specs from manufacturer. Meanwhile two turtles tagged in 2010, Helia (Iran) and 52982 (UAE) are...