Over 100 rehabilitated sea turtles tasted freedom last Thursday when they were released into the Arabian Gulf. The hawksbill turtles were set free just outside of the Burj Al Arab and Madinat Jumeirah hotels in time for World Sea Turtle Day. Both hotels serve as rehabilitation locations for the turtles in the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project.

For the big release, 101 children – including competition winners, pupils from a local school and even some hotel guests – released the turtles from the beach of Madinat Jumeirah, with the Burj Al Arab in the background. The Jumeirah group says the event was designed to raise awareness of the importance of the program, as well as issues facing turtles. The hawksbill turtle population has seen an 87 percent decline in its population over the last three decades.

Watch the cute little turtles crawl their way to the ocean to the delight of all the onlookers on the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project's Facebook page.

[Photo courtesy Jumeirah]

Filed under: Activism, United Arab, Middle East