Kuwait Dive Team leads effort to save endangered sea turtles

23/05/2026

KUWAIT CITY, May 23: The Kuwait Dive Team is “committed” to protecting sea turtles in Kuwaiti waters, said the environmental NGO on Saturday. Such commitment would serve to raise awareness efforts and maintain marine ecological balance, Team leader Waleed Al-Fadhli told KUNA on World Turtle Day, which falls on May 23. He added that over the past years, the Team has carried out dozens of successful rescue operations, including turtles trapped in abandoned fishing nets, factory water intake channels, power and desalination plants, and then returning them to their natural environment. Al-Fadhli noted that the Team also treats injured turtles due to boat collisions or plastic waste ingestion before releasing them back into the sea, noting that plastic is the most dangerous waste and leads to their death and extinction.

Beach cleaning and removal of plastic and harmful waste, such as on the islands of Qaruh and Umm Al Maradim; which are natural refuge and nesting sites for turtles, are key within an inclusive awareness “strategy,” he noted. Al-Fadhli confirmed the team’s cooperation with government entities and volunteer groups in this regard to unify efforts and apply environmental laws that prohibit hunting turtles or harming their natural habitat. He called on citizens, seagoers, and fishermen to be cautious, avoid throwing waste and fishing nets into the sea, and immediately report any sea turtle in danger to ensure a swift rescue. (KUNA)