Louvre Abu Dhabi's turtle rehabiliation lagoon - in pictures
Louvre Abu Dhabi has opened a rehabilitation lagoon that will house rescued sea turtles who are almost ready to swim back to the wild. All photos: Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Manuel Rabate, director of Louvre Abu Dhabi, helping to release the turtles into the lagoon
The 10 turtles were transported from The National Aquarium, where they have been undergoing rehabilitation
More turtles are set to arrive at the Louvre Abu Dhabi lagoon in the coming weeks
One of the turtles was ceremonially named Zaha, after famed Arab architect Zaha Hadid
The aquarium will continue to monitor the turtles until they are deemed fit to swim back to the open sea
Louvre Abu Dhabi's involvement in the wildlife programme effectively creates a new step in the turtles' rehabilitation process
Turtle rehabilitation is especially a big deal for the UAE, as it is home to five of seven species of marine turtles
School children attended the ceremony to take part in the turtles' release
About 5,000 of these animals reside in Abu Dhabi waters
Before the turtles swim back to the open sea, they are scored by the aquarium based on a number of criteria
Turtles are among the most migratory animals in the world, and they frequently pass through the Arabian Gulf
The Wildlife Rescue Programme, which started in 2020, has released more than 500 rehabilitated sea turtles back into the wild
The Louvre Abu Dhabi set-up will also give a chance for museum-goers to learn more about turtle rehabilitation
