UAE’s very own Turtle Sheikh
Known affectionately by conservationists and coastal communities across the UAE as the Turtle Sheikh, Sheikh Fahim has made marine wildlife protection one of the defining causes of his life.
Sheikh Fahim’s connection to marine conservation did not begin in any official capacity. It began underwater, five years ago, when he was free diving at a remote island and found a turtle tangled in fishing line and drowning.
How the rehabilitation works
Between rescue and release, every turtle passes through a carefully managed rehabilitation process. Critical care takes place at Jumeirah Burj Al Arab’s aquarium facilities, before the animals move to purpose-designed lagoons for the final stage of recovery.
“The lagoons are thriving with marine life,” said Barbara. “There are fish that have been in there for 10 years, things growing on the rocks, and all the lagoons have caves because turtles like to go and sleep under caves. This is also very useful for turtles that have buoyancy issues, so they can start compensating and recovering. There is also a lot of natural food in the lagoon. We feed them once a day to make sure they are all active and eating, and we monitor their swimming behaviour, especially the ones that are missing flippers or have issues with their buoyancy. We monitor their weight and their health until they are ready to be released.”
Humpty, Dumpty and the residents you can meet
Not every turtle can return to the ocean. Humpty and Dumpty, two female green turtles who have lived at the rehabilitation lagoons for ten years, were both struck by boats when they were young. The injuries left them permanently positively buoyant, making it impossible for them to dive and find food in the wild.
The team fitted them with carefully calibrated weights to help them swim as normally as possible. They cannot be released, but they have become much-loved residents of the lagoon. Free daily turtle talks and feeding sessions take place every morning at 11am, with a second session on weekends at 3:30pm, open to the public with no booking required.
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