Rehabilitation & Satellite Tracked Release of a Green Turtle – Chelonia mydas

Warren Baverstock1, David Robinson1, Kevin P. C. Hyland2 / 1National Marine Aquarium, Dubai, 2Wildlife Protection Office, Dubai

In August 2006 an injured Green Turtle, Chelonia mydas, was received by the Wildlife Protection Office. It had suffered a severe head trauma and appeared close to death. It was recovered from a beach near Dibba, UAE. The turtle was housed in a temporarily empty fish quarantine unit at the Burj al Arab hotel. Physical characteristics of the unit consist of a circular diameter tank of 3.9m proportions with a fish-based re-circulating life support system consisting of sand filter, foam fractionation, ozone control and ultraviolet sterilization. In addition the temperature was maintained at a steady 26°C. Ambient sea temperature at the time of receipt was 35°C.