Foxy leads Dubai turtle return to sea

Dubai returned 23 rescued sea turtles to the Arabian Gulf, including a one-flipper survivor named Foxy whose release marked a fresh milestone in the emirate’s two-decade marine conservation effort.

The release, staged from the Dubai coastline ahead of World Sea Turtle Day on June 16, brought together 22 green turtles and one hawksbill turtle after months of rehabilitation. Foxy, a green turtle that had lost a front flipper, drew particular attention after recovering from serious injury and being fitted with a satellite tracker to monitor her movements in open water.

The Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project, operating since 2004, has now rescued, treated and returned more than 2,350 turtles to the wild. The programme’s latest release also pushed the number of satellite-tracked turtles past 100, strengthening a database used to study migration routes, survival rates and habitat use across the Arabian Gulf and adjoining waters.

Foxy was found off Ras Al Khaimah in January 2025 after a fisherman spotted her in distress. Sheikh Fahim Bin Sultan Bin Khalid Al Qasimi, an ambassador for the rehabilitation project, helped move the injured turtle to Dubai for treatment. Veterinary teams later carried out surgery and supervised a recovery that stretched over 17 months, during which Foxy regained the strength and swimming capacity needed for release.

Her return to the sea has given conservation teams a rare opportunity to track how an amputee turtle adapts in the wild. Earlier tracking work by the project has shown that rehabilitated turtles, including some with amputated flippers, can resume natural movement patterns if released after careful medical assessment and conditioning. The risks remain significant, with boat strikes, fishing gear, plastic ingestion and habitat pressure among the main causes of injury and death.

The turtles passed through a phased recovery process that begins with stabilisation and medical treatment, including examinations, surgery where required, antibiotics, feeding support and water-quality monitoring. Once stronger, the animals are moved to the Turtle Rehabilitation Sanctuary at Jumeirah Al Naseem, a sea-fed lagoon designed to help them rebuild stamina and natural behaviour before release.

The sanctuary’s shallow waters, sea access and sheltered features allow weakened turtles to regain buoyancy control and feeding instincts under supervision. The project also uses the site for public education, bringing residents, visitors and schoolchildren into contact with rescued turtles while explaining the pressures facing marine life in the region.

The latest group included animals affected by serious injuries and illness, including flipper trauma, plastic-related complications and suspected vessel impacts. Conservation teams timed the release around tide and weather conditions, a standard step intended to reduce stress and give the turtles the best chance of moving safely into deeper water.

The hawksbill turtle in the group carried added conservation significance. Hawksbills are native to the region and are listed as critically endangered, with nesting populations under pressure from coastal development, illegal trade, marine pollution and climate-linked changes to beach conditions. Green turtles, though more widely distributed, also face long-term threats from fishing activity, habitat loss, egg predation, coastal lighting and ocean warming.

Dubai’s turtle rehabilitation effort has grown from a rescue response into a wider conservation and research platform. Its work involves hotel-based marine specialists, veterinary partners and government environmental authorities, with treatment often beginning after members of the public, fishermen or coastal operators report injured animals.

The project’s long-term value lies not only in individual rescues but also in the information gathered after release. Satellite tags provide data on where rehabilitated turtles travel, how long they survive after treatment and which marine areas they use for feeding and migration. Those findings can support wider protection measures, particularly in a busy Gulf environment where shipping, construction, fishing and tourism overlap with important marine habitats.

Foxy’s case also underscores the role of rapid reporting. Turtles found weak, entangled or floating abnormally can deteriorate quickly if left untreated. Conservation workers have repeatedly urged the public not to push distressed turtles back to sea immediately, but to alert trained teams so the animals can be assessed, stabilised and treated.