Seventy-nine sea turtles have been returned to the Red Sea after treatment and rehabilitation by the General Organization for Conservation of Coral Reefs and Turtles in the Red Sea (SHAMS). The releases are part of a broader programme combining rescue, veterinary care, rehabilitation, nesting-site monitoring and habitat protection.

Each injured or sick turtle is first assessed and examined by vets to determine what treatment it needs, then placed on a care plan suited to its condition. It is released only once staff are satisfied it can swim and has recovered its natural abilities. Some cases took more than 190 days of veterinary care and follow-up before release.

Sea turtles in the Red Sea face a range of threats, chief among them getting caught in fishing gear, swallowing plastic waste, marine pollution, habitat loss and human activity that disturbs nesting and feeding grounds, which makes rescue and early intervention essential.

Beyond rehabilitation, SHAMS runs scientific field surveys. These have covered around 2,200 beaches along the Saudi Red Sea coast and identified 23 high-priority nesting sites that host about 70% of the nesting activity recorded in Saudi Red Sea waters. The findings guide decisions on which sites to protect and how to monitor them.

The organization gives particular attention to green turtles, which depend on seagrass habitats, and hawksbill turtles, which play a role in coral reef ecosystems. Its turtle work is linked to coral reef restoration, research and cooperation with scientific bodies, and it urges beachgoers and sea users to cut litter and avoid disturbing turtles.