These Opulent Dubai Hotels Also Serve as a Wildlife Haven

On a bright winter morning at the Jumeirah Al Naseem resort by the sea in Dubai, I observe two long-term guests—named Humpty and Dumpty—gliding gracefully in a lagoon pool warmed by the Arabian Gulf.

Twelve-year-old Humpty and seven-year-old Dumpty are not your typical visitors. They are endangered green turtles, part of over 2,000 turtles rescued by the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project (DTRP) since its inception in 2004. Managed by the Jumeirah Hotel Group in collaboration with Dubai’s Wildlife Protection Office, the Dubai Falcon Hospital, and the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, the DTRP focuses on rescuing and rehabilitating sick and injured sea turtles, releasing them back into the waters of the United Arab Emirates when they are ready.

The five lagoon pools, integral to the hotel’s original design, sit in the resort’s center, surrounded by palm trees and slightly set back from the beach. Guests can greet the turtles on their way to the shore. I’m accompanied by Barbara Lang-Lenton, director of the aquarium at the iconic Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, Jumeirah Al Naseem’s neighboring sister property, and the lead of the DTRP, who has invited me to observe the turtles and the facilities.

Having lived in Dubai for nearly ten years, I often find myself returning to the iconic sail-shaped Burj Al Arab and the beachfront Jumeirah Al Naseem. Whether it’s dining at Rockfish, where all the seafood is sustainably sourced, enjoying a day at Summersalt, the trendiest beach club around, or sipping cocktails while watching stunning sunsets, these spots never disappoint. However, I only discovered a few years ago that these resorts are home to a turtle conservation program. As someone passionate about wildlife, I was amazed to learn that the region's first turtle rehabilitation initiative was taking place right in my neighborhood. With critical care facilities located in the Burj Al Arab and rehabilitation pools at Jumeirah Al Naseem, the turtles are cared for with utmost luxury. Most guests at the Burj Al Arab are unaware that they are staying above a turtle ICU.

Humpty and Dumpty are both permanent residents here, likely suffering injuries from boat strikes that have severely damaged their shells, making it hard for them to dive, swim, and maintain buoyancy. In the wild, this would pose challenges in finding food and shelter and increase their risk of additional boat strikes. “We tried to put them back together again,” says Lang-Lenton, alluding to the nursery rhyme behind their names, “but we can’t release them.” Instead, they enjoy their days in serene, sea-fed pools, feasting on fish, squid, prawns, mussels, and the occasional broccoli floret.

This isn’t my first visit to see the turtles here. In November 2023, I participated in a turtle release organized by the DTRP. I held my breath as we watched 14 turtles make their way across the sand; the smaller ones darting quickly, while the larger green turtles lumbered toward the water’s edge. However, once they reached the clear, warm sea, their powerful flippers kicked in, propelling them confidently toward open water. There wasn’t a dry eye on the beach.

The journey of sea turtles to two of Dubai’s most opulent hotels

The number of turtles taken in by the DTRP fluctuates each year. Since its establishment in 2004, the project has successfully rescued and released 2,108 sea turtles back into their natural habitats. In 2023, 28 hawksbill turtles and 20 green turtles were rescued and subsequently released.

“When winter is prolonged and harsh, we tend to receive more turtles,” explains Lang-Lenton. “Typically, we take in between 70 and 100 each year, but there have been years when we’ve rescued as many as 300.” The turtles rescued encompass four different species—hawksbill, green, loggerhead, and olive ridley—all of which are critically endangered. Some suffer injuries from boat strikes or entanglement in abandoned fishing gear, hooks, and plastic debris; others have barnacles and oysters clinging to their shells, impairing their swimming ability.

“Many of the animals we receive are young hawksbills in their first winter. The cold water makes them sluggish, leading to reduced feeding and activity,” says Lang-Lenton. “They tend to recover quickly and usually stay with us for two to five months before being released.”

How community outreach boosts turtle rescue efforts

Lang-Lenton notes that increased outreach correlates with a rise in rescued turtles. Each year, she engages over 1,700 school children at Jumeirah Al Naseem, teaching them about the global threats turtles face, their behaviors, migration, and the DTRP's role in rescuing and rehabilitating them. She highlights how these children become advocates by sharing their newfound knowledge with their families. Additionally, daily sessions at 11 a.m. invite hotel guests to learn and participate in feeding activities.

Most turtles at the DTRP arrive after being discovered by Dubai residents on beaches or in the water. Lang-Lenton emphasizes, “Our outreach and education have empowered the public to identify sick or injured turtles and know whom to contact for help.”

Approximately 80 to 90 percent of turtles rescued by DTRP come through the 800-TURTLE hotline; an expert guides callers on how to assist until help arrives. Launched in October 2021, this hotline was established with support from DTRP ambassador Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan bin Khalid Al Qasimi, a passionate sailor and entrepreneur focused on enhancing transparency in fisheries. He remarks, “Our awareness campaigns for the 800-TURTLE line have been instrumental in uniting the community and quickly bringing injured turtles to our facility.”

Sheikh Fahim's journey into conservation began three years ago when he encountered a distressed turtle in the Arabian Gulf. While on a remote island, he found a turtle entangled in fishing line, struggling to breathe. He named the large green turtle Farah, meaning “joy” in Arabic, after rescuing her and taking her to the DTRP. Farah was later released in October 2021 near the Burj Al Arab, equipped with a satellite tag that tracked her journey to protected marine areas around Abu Dhabi. “Saving Farah marked my commitment to dedicating my life to turtle conservation,” he reflects.

The tracking of rehabilitated turtles post-release

To gain insights into their movements and behaviors, many turtles released by the DTRP are equipped with satellite tags. These tags allow tracking of their journeys, revealing that while some explore the waters of the Gulf, many prefer to remain in the seagrass-rich regions around the UAE. Lang-Lenton shares examples: “Greeny, a small green turtle released in June, ventured to Qatar before returning to Abu Dhabi. Ivy traveled to Iran and also came back. We observe their directional changes with fluctuating water temperatures, and their favored stopping points are often protected marine areas.” She notes that it’s not uncommon for a turtle to cover nearly 100 miles in a single day. One turtle, named Dibba, astonishingly journeyed over 5,000 miles from the UAE all the way to Thailand in just nine months.

Not every rescue concludes positively. Within the ICU facility, Lang-Lenton shows me jars containing items found in the stomachs of turtles that unfortunately did not survive. These include fishing lines, plastic fragments, and nurdles—the tiny plastic pellets from which many plastic products are made. “Even the smallest hawksbill turtles can perish from ingesting these pellets,” Lang-Lenton explains. She adds that plastic waste poses a significant threat to larger turtles as well, making it a crucial aspect of the DTRP’s educational initiatives. “Plastics can become entangled in seagrass, leading turtles to consume them, and any plastic eventually breaks down into smaller pieces. Algae can grow on these fragments, making them appear and smell like food for turtles, resulting in accidental ingestion.”

The far-reaching impact of this turtle rehabilitation program beyond Dubai

Although the DTRP is situated in the UAE, its educational initiatives in local schools and outreach efforts to hotel guests enable it to raise awareness well beyond the borders of Dubai. Sheikh Fahim deeply values the educational aspect of the DTRP’s mission.

“We inhabit a region rich in marine life, and it is crucial for everyone here to understand how to assist critically endangered species, such as hawksbills, when they require aid,” he states. “Since these turtles are migratory, each one we rescue has a worldwide significance.”