Dubai sends off rehabilitated sea turtles
STORY: To raise awareness about their risk of extinction, 15 Hawksbill and six Green turtles - juveniles and adults - were set free by Dubai's Turtle Rehabilitation Project after being rescued and rehabilitated.
Washed-up on the shore, these turtles were among thousands of others found by the rehabilitation center and placed at an aquarium facility, where they receive medical care.
However, these creatures are set to face many challenges at sea, such as pollution, coastal developments, human-threats – which is why some were fitted with satellite transmitters that allow the rescue center to track their journey.
"When the turtle comes out to breathe, we can get the signal sent to satellite and we get a geographical location, we can check the water temperature and if the female goes out the water to the beach to nest, we can also track how long and in what location, the animal has spent out of the water," said project director Barbara Lang-Lenton.
With beaches getting warmer due to climate change, the gender of sea turtles is shifting towards a higher number of females being born, Lang-Lenton told Reuters.
