Dubai: More than 70 rescued and rehabilitated turtles were released back into the sea off the coast Dubai on Thursday morning.

Hotel guests from the Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Madinat Jumeirah watched in awe as 75 turtles raced to the water at Jumeirah Al Naseem beach as part of the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project (DTRP).

Marine specialists at DTRP have been working for six months to rehabilitate the sick and injured turtles that were washed ashore in the UAE.

Now healthy, these endangered turtles have been released back into their natural habitat in the Arabian Gulf.

Thursday’s turtle release is this year’s first. DTRP has so far rehabilitated and released 1,732 turtles since the project began back in 2004.

Their main mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and release any sea turtles that are found injured or sick throughout the region.

The team also aims to educate the public on sea turtle biology and the local and global plight of the beloved sea turtle.