Beyond the Blue: Inside Abu Dhabi’s daring marine life rescue operations in new film

“We’re like the lifeguards in Baywatch,” says Paul Hamilton with a grin, “but just with shirts on.” The lighthearted quip from the General Manager of The National Aquarium – Abu Dhabi offers a brief moment of levity, but it’s clear that Hamilton’s real work is anything but a stroll on the beach.

As the 45-minute documentary Beyond the Blue: Rescue Rehab Release prepares for its premiere tonight on November 18th on National Geographic Abu Dhabi, Hamilton and his team are seen tackling the high-stakes, emotional challenges of rescuing and rehabilitating marine life in the UAE.

From endangered sea turtles to massive whale sharks, the documentary reveals the intense, often heart-wrenching reality of marine conservation, highlighting the urgent need to protect our oceans.

“The core essence of the film lies in its big environmental messages. It’s quite clever in how it addresses topics that can often feel overwhelming. These issues are made engaging through the rescues we conduct, the drama, and the emotional moments captured throughout the film," said Hamilton in an interview with Gulf News.

Excerpts from our interview with Hamilton…

It’s a big week for you. Tonight, Beyond the Blue: Rescue Rehab Release premieres on National Geographic. Why should we watch this documentary?

It’s a refreshing way to tackle conservation topics. There are plenty of films out there showing factories blowing smoke, but we wanted to put some heart into it. I think the film achieves that beautifully.

What kind of conservation projects did you focus on? You’ve done extensive work, from rehabilitating turtles to marine species rescues. Was it challenging to decide what would make a great story for the documentary?

What’s interesting about this story—and it’s not overtly mentioned in the film—is that we started collecting footage during COVID. Imagine this: I was living in Dubai, and we had emergencies in Abu Dhabi. I was rushing through PCR tests and security at the border to get into Abu Dhabi to execute these rescues. It was a surreal time. Our most common activity is rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing sea turtles. While the film doesn’t highlight this, we’ve now rescued 1,200 sea turtles, all endangered species. Every individual we return to the wild represents hope for the species' future—it’s a breeding individual back in the game. What makes the Arabian Gulf unique is its extreme climate. Many of the turtles here are tourists—they come for the Gulf's rich food supply. But when winter hits, they’re caught off guard by the cold. They get cold-stunned, and storms wash them up on our beaches. One of our biggest successes is public awareness. Families walking on the beach now know what to do when they find a turtle. Half of our rescues come from individuals who spot turtles and notify us. It’s incredible to see how the program has evolved to tackle this issue.

You’ve been involved in whale shark rescues, working with these massive six-meter-plus animals. How did those rescues unfold?

These are huge animals—six meters or more—and the situations were unexpected. The film might make it seem dramatised, but in reality, the drama was even greater. It was an incredibly intense time. What you see in this film is absolutely real. I’d spent years searching the world to observe a whale shark, investing a lot of time and money, and then in the same week in Abu Dhabi, I ended up with two that needed my help. It was a bizarre and intense time in my life. Both rescues were emergencies with time ticking. They were unique situations that didn’t allow us to rely on any prior experience. I reached out to experts, and they told me, “We’ve never encountered anything like this before.” So, we had to invent new ways to move these animals without causing harm. And that's what we did. This was in 2021 and we had been filming since 2020, documenting everything in real time. It wasn’t just about one moment; it was a chronicle of everything that happened leading up to it.

You’ve worked in various parts of the world, but it seems this whale shark rescue project in the UAE became a career-defining moment for you. Would you agree?

Absolutely. This experience left its mark on me. I still have a scar from the whale shark rescue on my arm. It’s a significant part of my life now. What's incredible is that the entire process was captured on film, with drones and cameras following every moment. And then to see it all come together in a National Geographic production was a huge honor. National Geographic and Disney productions are the peak when it comes to wildlife filmmaking. So, on one hand, it was a tough and challenging task, but on the other, we were incredibly fortunate to have the technology to capture it all and see it become part of a major film.

You mentioned the physical toll of the work. You’ve shown me the scars from your battle with the whale sharks (his upper arm has a deep scar). Was it worth the risk, or is it just part of the job? How do you decide when it’s too dangerous to continue?

My wife asked me the same question. Honestly, whether I’m paid or not, if you're passionate about marine life, you want to get involved. In this case, the real challenge wasn’t deciding whether or not I would do it, but preventing others from jumping in. There were so many people who wanted to be on the front lines. Many people tend to throw caution to the wind when they feel the need to save these creatures, and we had to hold them back. At the end of the day, it was about containing the risk and ensuring it didn’t spread to others.

Where are the whale sharks now? Are they back in their natural habitat? And how do you determine when they’re fit to survive on their own?

There wasn’t much rehabilitation beyond some feeding to help them regain strength. Initially, we hoped they could find their way back into the Arabian Gulf on their own, but they lost weight, so we assisted them with feeding to prepare them for transport. We also fitted one shark with a satellite tag to track its movements. Normally, these sharks don’t come into the city or canals—they’re meant to travel through the Arabian Gulf. There’s a specific location near Qatar where they gather each year, feeding on tuna eggs. This sort of behavior is rare in the UAE, and the fact that two sharks did this in one week was truly extraordinary. It almost seemed like something out of a Disney movie, but it was all very real.

How do you think this documentary will inspire people to be more responsible towards marine life?

The film follows various animals’ journeys. For instance, you’ll see a turtle with plastic in its stomach being rehabilitated and eventually released with a satellite tag. The film connects the dots between human behavior — like improperly disposing of plastic—and its impact on marine life. It’s about making people realize that small, thoughtless actions can lead to significant consequences for these animals.

You also collaborated with the Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi for all your rescues. Can you walk me through how significant this collaboration was? What was their role in the rescues?

The Environment Agency — Abu Dhabi (EAD) is a crucial part of the wildlife rescue efforts and is our partner. Wildlife Rescue is essentially made up of EAD and the National Aquarium — Abu Dhabi. EAD is the authority in these situations. Whether we respond or not is a decision they make. They’re the ones who say, "Hey, there’s a turtle needing rescue. Can you respond?" Or, "There’s a dugong, a whale shark, or a sea snake." They manage the hotline, so when something is seen on the coast or happens near the coast, the first call goes through them, and then we’re the team that responds. For larger, higher-profile rescues, EAD joins us on the ground.

That sounds like you’re part of the real-life hit show Baywatch ...

(Laughs) Yes, with our shirts on!

What would you say is the most surprising or unique rescue that made it into the film?

There’s one particularly heart-wrenching rescue in the movie involving a baby Dugong … The Dugong story in the film is emotional, and it’s important for us that the film shows the reality of our work, not just a string of "wins." Some situations are incredibly difficult to resolve, and the dugong was one of those. It was an orphaned calf, separated from its mother, and without her, it couldn’t survive. When we started the rescue process, I quickly realized the team was getting too attached. The baby Dugong was scared, trying to cling to people, needing milk, and it was easy for the staff to get emotionally involved. I could see they were becoming too attached, and I had to keep reminding them of the bigger picture. Around the world, only a few dugong calves have ever been successfully rescued—it’s a very technical process. So we reached out to the world’s experts for advice, and we had people awake in Singapore and Australia, guiding us every hour. We had 24-hour vet care on it. But we failed. We lost the Dugong. It died. It was a train wreck and it was very hard to restore the morale of my staff.

Doctors and nurses are often told not to get too involved with their patients to maintain some distance so they can perform well. Is that an occupational hazard for you?

It comes with experience. Team members who succumb to their emotions are typically newer to this. Over time, you start seeing and thinking differently, but at no point do we not feel sorry for the animals. It’s our love for the marine environment and creatures that drives us. There’s never a disconnect. But there has to be this little space or caution to remain productive. If you get too attached, you might focus too much on one case, losing sight of others. So it’s about keeping people productive, not disconnected.

How do you see marine conservation in this region evolve? Ideally, where would you like it to be?

EAD as an organisation is doing a lot. For example, while we rescue a turtle with plastic in its stomach, they’re working on reducing single-use plastic across the UAE. These moves will eventually help create that change. It's all interconnected. Over time, we’ll see that success—less plastic on the beaches, more plastic being recycled. We’re not doing this work for fame. There’s so much more we can achieve. I hope we continue this path towards more awareness and action.

Finally, how do you think this documentary will inspire people to change their approach to marine life and conservation?

The documentary captures some of the intense, hard work we do behind the scenes and shows the reality of conservation efforts—it's not always pretty. But it also inspires hope. It’s a message about small changes we can all make—whether it’s reducing plastic usage or being more conscious about our actions towards marine life. Every viewer, even if they can’t be directly involved in rescues, can make a difference. The small changes they make will eventually add up. A word to the parents out there: It’s important to encourage kids to sit down and watch documentaries, not just short, snappy content on social media. I do this with my kids—it’s about soaking in the entire story and understanding the process, the climax, and the solutions. Films like this are still important because they tell a complete story.

Don't Miss It!

'Beyond The Blue: Rescue Rehab Release' will premiere tonight (November 18) at 9pm UAE on National Geographic Abu Dhabi