Sea Turtles in the UAE: Where to See Hawksbills and Green Turtles

Chloe King
Aug 6
7 min read

Quick facts

Species you’re most likely to see: Green sea turtles and hawksbill sea turtles
Where to look in the wild: Dibba Rock in Fujairah and suitable reef and seagrass habitats around the UAE
A reliable place to see turtles up close: The Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project at Jumeirah Al Naseem
Hawksbill nesting season in the UAE: Usually March to June
Found a sick, injured or stranded turtle? Call 800-TURTLE (800 887853) and follow the team’s instructions

Are there sea turtles in Dubai and the UAE?

Yes! We’re incredibly lucky to live in a place where sea turtles swim, feed and even nest right on our doorstep.

If there’s one thing divers always ask us, it’s: “Will we see a sea turtle on our dive?”

We can never guarantee a wild encounter—but you may spot a turtle resting around a reef or see a head pop up beside the boat as it comes to the surface to breathe.

Five species of sea turtle have been recorded in UAE waters: green, hawksbill, loggerhead, olive ridley and leatherback turtles. Olive ridleys and leatherbacks are considered rare visitors, while the two species you’re most likely to encounter are the green sea turtle and the hawksbill sea turtle.

At first glance, they can be tricky to tell apart. But there are a few simple clues—and once you know them, you’ll never un-see the difference.

Meet the green sea turtle

Green sea turtles are most closely associated with seagrass meadows, sheltered bays and other shallow coastal habitats. Adults feed mainly on seagrass and algae, which makes them unusual among sea turtles because they are primarily herbivorous.

In the UAE, large green turtle populations forage around Abu Dhabi’s protected seagrass habitats. They are also found in suitable coastal habitats elsewhere in the country, including Dubai.

Despite the name, a green turtle’s shell isn’t necessarily green. The name comes from the greenish colour of its body fat, rather than its shell or liver.

Green turtles are one of the larger hard-shelled sea turtles. They usually have a rounded head, a relatively blunt mouth and shell scutes—the individual plates on the shell—that sit neatly alongside one another rather than overlapping.

Meet the hawksbill sea turtle

The hawksbill takes its name from its narrow, bird-like beak—and that beak is the first thing to look for. If it’s sharply pointed and hawk-like, it’s probably a hawksbill.

Hawksbills are currently classified as Critically Endangered globally. Their shells usually have beautiful amber, brown, orange and dark markings, and their scutes characteristically overlap, particularly in younger turtles.

You’ll usually find hawksbills around coral and rocky reefs. Their narrow beaks allow them to reach into small gaps and crevices in search of their preferred food: sea sponges. By feeding on sponges and other reef organisms, hawksbills play an important role in maintaining healthy, diverse reef communities.

There’s a good chance of spotting one around Fujairah and Dibba. We often see their heads appear around Dibba Rock, although—as with every wild encounter—nothing is guaranteed.

How do you tell a green turtle from a hawksbill?

Here’s the quick version we teach our young ocean explorers and new divers to remember on their next dive or boat trip:

Head and beak: Green turtle — rounded with a relatively blunt mouth. Hawksbill — narrow with a sharp, bird-like beak.
Shell scutes: Green turtle — sit alongside one another without overlapping. Hawksbill — characteristically overlap.
Typical habitat: Green turtle — seagrass meadows, sheltered bays and coastal waters. Hawksbill — coral and rocky reefs.
Adult diet: Green turtle — primarily seagrass and algae. Hawksbill — primarily sponges and other reef organisms.
Global IUCN status: Green turtle — Least Concern as of 2025, although threats remain. Hawksbill — Critically Endangered.

Shell colour alone isn’t a reliable way to identify a turtle. Algae, barnacles, age, light and water conditions can all change how a shell appears, so look at the beak and scutes first.

Where can you see sea turtles in the UAE?

Green and hawksbill turtles can be encountered in UAE waters throughout the year. These are some of the best places and ways to look for them responsibly.

Dibba Rock, Fujairah

Dibba Rock is one of our favourite places to look for hawksbills in the wild. You may encounter them while diving or snorkelling, or see them coming up for air from the boat.

The reef attracts an incredible variety of marine life, but turtles are wild animals. No responsible operator should ever promise a sighting.

Dubai’s coastal waters

Dubai has important turtle habitat, including the protected seagrass beds, reefs and nesting beaches of the Jabal Ali Wildlife Sanctuary.

We don’t often spot turtles while scuba diving off Dubai itself. That doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t there—the lower visibility can simply make them much harder to see.

From a boat, kayak or paddleboard, you may occasionally see a turtle surface for air. Always keep your distance and never follow, surround or block its path.

Abu Dhabi’s seagrass habitats

Abu Dhabi’s extensive seagrass meadows provide important feeding habitat for green turtles. The protected waters of the Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve support particularly high numbers.

Many of these habitats are protected or access-controlled, so choose responsible, authorised operators and observe any local rules.

Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project

For a reliable opportunity to see turtles up close and learn about their conservation, visit the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project at Jumeirah Al Naseem.

The project rescues and rehabilitates sick and injured turtles before returning those that recover to the wild. Its Turtle Lagoon also helps visitors understand the threats turtles face in UAE waters.

Visitor sessions and arrangements can change, so check the project’s current information before travelling.

How should you behave around a sea turtle?

Seeing a turtle in the wild is incredibly special. At Chloe Blue, we always say the best encounter is one that doesn’t change the turtle’s natural behaviour—if the turtle barely notices we’re there, we’re doing it right.

Keep a respectful distance and allow the turtle to choose where it goes.
Never chase, touch, hold, ride or feed a turtle.
Don’t block its route to the surface—it needs to breathe.
Slow down and keep watch when operating a boat or jet ski in turtle habitat.
Never disturb a nest, handle eggs or help hatchlings unless directed by an authorised conservation team.
Avoid sharing the precise location of an active nest on social media.

If a turtle moves away, changes direction repeatedly or tries to escape, you’re too close.

When do sea turtles nest in the UAE?

In the UAE, the established turtle nesting season mainly refers to hawksbills, which generally nest between March and June.

Hawksbills nest on offshore islands and protected beaches around the country, including within Abu Dhabi’s protected areas and at the Jabal Ali Wildlife Sanctuary in Dubai.

Sea turtles have an extraordinary ability to navigate across the ocean and return to the same region—and sometimes the same beach—where they hatched to lay their own eggs.

Green turtles are important visitors to UAE feeding grounds, but regular green turtle nesting is not established here in the same way. That made the discovery of a green turtle nest in Abu Dhabi in 2024 particularly remarkable.

If you ever come across a nesting turtle, tracks, eggs or hatchlings, keep well away, avoid bright lights and contact the relevant environmental authority. Never attempt to move or “help” them yourself.

Why are sea turtles under threat?

Sea turtles face a combination of natural and human-made challenges in UAE waters.

Winter cold and debilitation

When Gulf waters cool during winter, young turtles can become weak and inactive. Some struggle to swim, dive or feed and may eventually wash ashore.

Barnacles and oysters can accumulate on already debilitated turtles, adding weight and drag and making movement even harder. They should never be pulled off by members of the public, as this can cause pain, injury and infection.

Fishing gear, plastic and vessel strikes

Abandoned fishing nets and lines can entangle turtles, while plastic and other marine debris may be swallowed or cause internal blockages. Boat and jet-ski strikes can also cause devastating injuries.

Dubai’s phased ban on a wide range of single-use plastic products is a positive step towards reducing unnecessary plastic waste. But the biggest difference will come from combining policy with responsible choices, cleaner coastlines and better protection of marine habitats.

Rising sand temperatures

A sea turtle’s sex is influenced by the temperature of the sand while its egg develops: warmer incubation temperatures produce more females, while cooler temperatures produce more males.

As the climate warms, some nesting populations could become increasingly female-dominated. Protecting suitable nesting beaches—including naturally shaded and cooler areas—will be important for their future.

Is there any good news for green sea turtles?

Yes—and it’s a genuine conservation success.

In 2025, the IUCN changed the green turtle’s global classification from Endangered to Least Concern following decades of conservation work and an increase in the global population.

That doesn’t mean every population has recovered or that the threats have disappeared. Progress varies significantly between regions, and green turtles in UAE waters remain protected. Fishing bycatch, marine debris, vessel strikes, coastal development and climate change all require continued attention.

The recovery shows us something important: conservation can work when protection is sustained over many years.

What should you do if you find an injured turtle?

If you find a sick, injured or stranded sea turtle in the UAE, call 800-TURTLE (800 887853).

Give the team your location and a clear description of the turtle, then follow their instructions. Don’t return a stranded turtle to the water unless they tell you to, and never try to remove barnacles, oysters, fishing line or anything attached to its body yourself.

How can you learn more about UAE sea turtles?

Here’s the thing we believe most at Chloe Blue: the best way for anyone—especially a child—to fall in love with sea turtles is to understand them. Curiosity is where conservation starts.

If you’d like to go deeper, our PADI Distinctive Specialty course, Sea Turtle Identification and Conservation in the Arabian Gulf, teaches divers how to recognise, understand and help protect the turtles on our doorstep.

For younger ocean lovers, this is exactly why we created Hessa the Hawksbill and Shiree the Green Sea Turtle—two characters who bring these local species to life and help children learn how to care for them.

You can download our free Hessa and Shiree activity worksheets to get started at home.

Because once you’ve looked a turtle in the eye—even one popping its head up beside the boat—you never quite see the ocean in the same way again.

Want your child to meet Hessa and Shiree? Explore our children’s ocean programmes and download the free activity sheets.

Fancy learning more yourself? Contact Chloe Blue to ask about our Sea Turtle Identification and Conservation specialty course.

About the author

Chloe King is the founder of Chloe Blue and a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer with experience teaching children and adults across the UAE. Through diving, ocean education and conservation programmes, Chloe Blue helps people build a lasting connection with the UAE’s marine environment.