ABU DHABI // Cool sea temperatures are causing more turtles to wash up on shores and rescuers expect to treat hundreds of the injured creatures this winter.
The crew of the recently launched Jalboot Ferry picked up a hawksbill turtle that was struggling to swim because of barnacles on its shell. Hawksbills are a critically endangered species.
Capt Ronniel Abejo saw the sinking reptile when the ferry was berthed at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr stop. He picked it up and removed the barnacles before returning it to the ocean.
Capt Abejo thought he was helping the turtle, which the crew named Robinson after the famous novel Robinson Crusoe, but marine biologists warn against such rescues.
David Robinson, a British marine biologist who works with the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project at the Burj Al Arab Aquarium, said barnacles usually indicated that a turtle was injured.
Mr Robinson said the turtle rescued by the crew would probably wash up again, possibly dead.
“We’ve had 28 turtles in the past two weeks and are expecting a lot more over the next few months,” he said.
“Some years as many as 350 turtles wash up on the shores of Dubai, covered in barnacles.
“They are symptoms that something is wrong with the turtle. If it was healthy, it would be able to rid itself of any parasites by scratching them off on rocks.”
Hawksbills are a tropical species that prefers warm water. But cooler weather in Dubai brought on by recent storms and cloudy days, has caused coastal water to drop below 20°C.
Turtles are cold blooded, gaining their heat and energy from the water. Without the warmth they slow down and become vulnerable to parasites.
As their metabolism drops, so does their immune system leaving them prone to sickness. Yearlings are more vulnerable.
“It is important people do not remove barnacles themselves and put the turtles back in the sea,” Mr Robinson said.
“The animals are really small and their bodies are very sensitive.
“Doing this can cause tears or internal bleeding. We get some that have been ripped apart on the inside. People think they are doing good and assume it is a hard shell. It is more like a fingernail and the turtle can feel it.”
The species has been added to the critically endangered list largely because of the demand for shells in East Asia, where they are used for decoration.
Coastal development and destruction of coral reefs are also major threats to the species as it damages nesting sites, while some are caught in fishing nets.
“I was on the afternoon shift, just after 2.30pm when I saw it in the water,” said Capt Abejo, who has been working on the ferry since its launch in October.
“At first I thought it was a small bird. It was struggling to swim so I took it in and first removed the barnacles by hand, and then with pliers. It was only out of the water for a couple of minutes, and then it swam off. It seemed to be OK. It was the first turtle I had seen on the ferry route.”
There has been an 87 per cent decline in hawksbill numbers in the past 30 years. Regionally the species is bucking that trend, with many protected nesting sites on the coastline.
The Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project is run in collaboration with Dubai’s Wildlife Protection Office, with veterinary support provided by the Dubai Falcon Clinic and the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory.
The project has been running since 2004 and has so far released about 560 back into Dubai’s waters.
In 2011, more than 350 sick or injured sea turtles were treated after being washed up on the region’s beaches.
Mr Robinson said anyone who found a turtle covered in barnacles or washed up on the shore should contact the project on 04 301 7198 or through its Facebook page.
nwebster@thenational.ae
