Calling Barbara Lang-Lenton a dedicated marine biologist is not factually incorrect, but it is rather an understatement. Originally from Spain, she moved to the UAE over twenty years ago to spearhead turtle conservation in the emirates. Since then she’s rescued and rehabilitated countless endangered marine reptiles, turning the UAE’s shores into a safe haven for sea turtles.
As Director of the Aquarium at Jumeirah’s Burj Al Arab and the driving force behind the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project (DTRP) since its inception in 2004, Barabra’s passion for marine conservation is evident.
In an exclusive interview to celebrate the DTRP’s incredible twenty year anniversary, Barbara sat down with The Ethicalist, to discuss her ongoing mission to save sea turtles, promote ocean conservation, and create a better future for marine life in the UAE and beyond.
TE: Over the last twenty years, you must have seen many changes when it comes to marine conservation in the UAE. Can you talk to us about some of the successes?
BLL: Over the past few years, we have seen an increase in global demand for coastal and maritime tourism. Many international travellers opt for coastal destinations for their vacations, and at the same time are becoming progressively aware of the need to travel responsibly. In return, there is a stronger obligation for the industry to protect marine life and preserve the ocean ecosystems which impacts our lives in so many ways. This has led to a rise in passionate individuals and responsible businesses becoming proactive custodians of the ocean with conservation projects designed to protect this precious ecosystem for generations to come.
The Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project (DTRP), launched in 2004 by Jumeirah in coordination with Dubai’s Wildlife Protection Office – the first project of its kind in the region, is a good example of that. Sea Turtles have an incredibly important role to play in maintaining the balance of the ocean ecosystem and it’s imperative we protect the species and their habitats. Over the last 20 years, DTRP has not only nursed sick and injured turtles back to health and returned them to the wild, but engaged the local and international community by giving them ways to support and learn more about how we can collectively work together to protect our oceans and its creatures.
It’s been amazing to see how much the community have got behind this project and I think it’s a great positive that people have become more aware of their impact on the environment and the need to be conscious of the world around them.
TE: The plight of sea turtles globally has worsened over the last few decades. As a marine conservationist, what would you say is the reason for this?
BLL: If we go back to the history of sea turtles, we discover that they have been covering major distances across the world’s vast oceans for over 120 million years, playing a vital role in the balance of marine habitats. All seven living species of sea turtles – Leatherbacks, Green turtles, Hawksbills, Loggerheads, Olive Ridleys, Kemp’s Ridleys and Flatbacks – have faced endangerment for years, primarily due to increased coastal and offshore development, pollution, climate change and irresponsible human activities such as accidental entanglement in fishing equipment.
We now see a shift in the gender of sea turtles being born, with significantly higher numbers of females. As a sea turtle’s gender depends on the temperature at which the eggs are incubated and with beaches getting warmer due to climate change, this could have an impact on the turtle populations and their evolution. So, it’s never been more important to look at how we can preserve this endangered species.
TE: As the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project celebrates its milestone 20th anniversary, can you highlight some of it’s biggest achievements?
BLL: As a result of DTRP’s efforts over the last 20 years, around 2,177 turtles have been successfully rehabilitated by the project and returned safely to the Arabian Gulf to date. A total of 87 turtles, 10 of them this year alone (!), have been released with satellite trackers so far. The project itself is supported by Dubai’s Wildlife Protection Office and the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, and is located at the Jumeirah Burj Al Arab, where the rehabilitation process starts with critical care at its aquarium facilities.
Jumeirah has also built a state-of-the-art Turtle Rehabilitation Lagoon at Jumeirah Al Naseem, Madinat Jumeirah, which is where turtles attend the second phase of their rehabilitation to acclimatise to ambient conditions and build up fitness levels, prior to release back into the wild.
The project runs an educational programme for school groups to deepen their understanding of the DTRP’s work, which recorded an attendance of around 1,700 school children from all seven Emirates annually. In addition, we run daily educational sessions, open to our guests and to the wider public.
We have also launched a dedicated toll-free line – 800TURTLE (800 887853) – where members of the public can call if they find a sea turtle that needs help. Through this initiative, people finding a sick or injured sea turtle anywhere in the UAE have been calling this number and receiving the right guidance from Jumeirah’s Aquarium team to take care of the turtle until it is brought to the facility. Most sea turtles in the project have come to Jumeirah through the 800TURTLE number since its launch, which shows the strength of the community in supporting this important project.
TE: How did Jumeirah celebrate 20 years of the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project?
BLL: As part of its 20th anniversary celebrations, we released 63 rehabilitated turtles back into the wild in Dubai as part of a public turtle release ahead of World Sea Turtle Day on 16th June. Leading technology enables the project to monitor the progress of the turtles which are fitted with satellite trackers.
One notable turtle that visited DTRP earlier in the project was ‘Dibba’, who travelled 8,300 kilometres from the Middle East to Southeast Asia after her release. Following the release, a special panel discussion titled ‘Out of Sight is not Out of Mind’ gathered global experts to address pressing ocean conservation challenges and emphasise the collective responsibility required to preserve marine life.
The anniversary was also an opportunity to showcase DTRP’s new coral restoration project that is being developed to nurture and preserve robust reef ecosystems as well as other marine conservation schemes across the Jumeirah portfolio including a special coral regeneration programme in the Maldives near Jumeirah’s Olhahali Island resort.
TE: What do you hope the next 10 years will bring for marine conservation in the UAE?
BLL: Through unified efforts to increase awareness and inspire the community to champion their cause and help preserve their environment – along with growing global emphasis on sustainable growth, preserving natural ecosystems, and protecting biodiversity, coupled with the UAE’s commitment to conservation and collective action, we believe the next decade holds tremendous promise for the sea turtles in this region. The last couple of years have seen additional marine rehabilitation facilities being born in the UAE and there are ongoing efforts to restore important turtle feeding habitats, such as coral reefs and seagrass meadows.
TE: Can you share one of your most treasured memories from releasing rehabilitated sea turtles since coming to the UAE?
BLL: Choosing a single most cherished memory from 20 years of turtle releases can be quite difficult – to me, every release and rescue story presents a unique story of hope that I will always remember.
Among the few memories I would not forget is the day HE Sheikh Fahim Al Qasimi first approached us with a sea turtle, Farah, that he had found entangled in a fishing line while he was freediving at an offshore island in March 2021. After reporting it to the local authorities, Sheikh Fahim was directed to Jumeirah’s DTRP team for the turtle to be taken care of. Ever since, he decided to join the project and help promote its initiatives, introducing the toll-free line – 800TURTLE – to ease the process for the public to report when an injured sea turtle has been found.
I will always cherish Sheikh Fahim’s unwavering support to the DTRP team, and how meaningful it is to have someone as passionate as he is to be part of the project.
A Conservation Vacation in Dubai
Jumeirah Al Naseem has unveiled a special turtle inspired stay experience to support the project’s efforts, including turtle-inspired welcome amenities, a behind-the-scenes look at the project’s work and a brand-new ocean-themed four-hands afternoon tea concept – plus a portion of the stay rate donated to the cause. To book your stay, visit the website here.
