This is how a rare turtle was returned to its original habitat in the Red Sea

A team consisting of the “Red Sea International”, the National Center for Wildlife Development and a private company succeeded in returning the “hawksbill turtle, which is one of the critically endangered species according to the Red List of Endangered Species, to its natural environment in the Red Sea yesterday after its recovery, after That she was found a month ago suffering from the inability to dive naturally near the island of “Aeqat Rizk” by the environmental sustainability team in the company.

After communicating with the National Center for Wildlife Development and obtaining the necessary permits, the turtle was recovered in coordination with Fakieh Aquarium in Jeddah, where it underwent the necessary examinations and received treatment to ensure its safety by a specialized medical team, and it was found that the turtle suffers from “floating syndrome.” reflexes” that made her unable to dive and find her food freely.

The team succeeded in relocating the turtle after its recovery to its original home near the island where it was found, after a tracking device was installed on it by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) to monitor and monitor its migration patterns, distribution, habitats and nesting places, to collect this information in scientific ways and benefit Including developing optimal plans for how to monitor and protect them to activate their role in sustainable eco-tourism in the Red Sea destination.

Captain Nawaf Marwani said, “We used to remain vigilant to monitor any abnormal phenomena, and this holds us responsible for reporting such cases.”

Khaled Dahlawi, Senior Director of Compliance and Implementation in the Environmental Sustainability Department at the company, said: “We reacted to the communication within the first hour and quickly. We are always ready with our partners to do everything we can to protect and enhance the environment of the land and sea region.”

He added, “We have finally noticed the spread of awareness of the importance of informing the competent authorities when observing such phenomena, and we are proud in the “Red Sea International” of the presence of cadres who have completed training courses related to the operations of rescuing wild organisms and rapid intervention for their rehabilitation.

For his part, Ahmed Al-Zahrani, Director of the Department of Mammals and Marine Turtles at the National Center for Wildlife Development and the supervisor of the process of returning the “Turtle Basma” to the sea, said: “We know very well the importance of protecting the marine environment, as there are many endangered marine creatures in the Red Sea, such as turtles, Sharks, dugongs, and more.”

He added that the center is keen on close cooperation and sharing its experiences in preserving and protecting natural environments and biodiversity. He continued, “We are very happy with the integration of efforts to save this turtle, which we named “Basma”, as a model of cooperation in preserving marine environments and the species in which they live, using responsible scientific methods.”

It is noteworthy that the aforementioned case is not the first that has been initiated by the Red Sea International in cooperation with its partners in saving turtles threatened with extinction or others. During the past year, 5 turtles were successfully rescued.