• 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.

No, in fact, scales (or more correctly ‘scutes’) counts are a way by which one can tell the difference among species. If the turtle has no scutes, but rather a hard rubbery shell with seven longitudinal ridges, it is a Leatherback.

If the turtle has four pairs of main lateral scutes (the large ones between the main backbone line and the small ones round the edges) it is a Hawksbill or a Green turtle, depending on the number of scales in front of and above the eyes (two pairs: Hawksbill; one pair: Green).

If the turtle has five pairs of main lateral scutes, it is a Loggerhead. More than this, it is an Olive Ridley. These are the five species found in the Gulf region.