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Sea turtles and marine mammals

Large Red Sea animals — from endangered turtles to dolphins and the rare dugong

documented species

turtle species

marine mammals

threatened EN+

Conservation warning: Most of these animals are protected under international agreements (CITES, CMS, IUCN). Catching or disturbing them is banned. If you meet a turtle or dolphin while diving, keep at least 3 metres away.

Sea turtles

Ancient marine reptiles dating back to the age of dinosaurs

Protection: All sea-turtle species are threatened or vulnerable. Saudi coastal programmes include nest monitoring and rehabilitation. Catching them or approaching their eggs is strictly banned.

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kimberlylrandal · CC BY-NC

EN — Endangered In the Red Sea

Green Sea Turtle

Chelonia mydas

Cheloniidae · Testudines

Length

80–150 cm

Weight

68–190 kg

Lifespan

80+ years

Diet

Herbivorous (seagrass and algae)

Habitat

Tropical and subtropical regions

Depth

سطح البحر up to 40 m

GBIF Taxon Key: 2441786

Scientific note

The green sea turtle, also known as the green turtle, black sea turtle, and Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus Chelonia. Its range extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, but it is also found in the Indian Ocean. The common name refers to the usually green fat found beneath its carapace, due to its diet strictly being seagrass, not to the color of its carapace, which is olive to black.

Main threats

الصيد العرضي
تلوث الشواطئ
التنمية الساحلية
استهلاك البيض

Notes

✦تبقى السلحفاة الخضراء تحت الماء up to 7 ساعات أثناء النوم
✦يمكنها السباحة 2,500 كم للوصول إلى مناطق التكاثر
✦يتحدد جنس الصغار بدرجة حرارة الرمل خلال الحضانة

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vanhoutan · CC BY

CR — Critically Endangered In the Red Sea

Hawksbill Sea Turtle

Eretmochelys imbricata

Cheloniidae · Testudines

Length

62–114 cm

Weight

46–70 kg

Lifespan

30–50 years

Diet

Sponges, jellyfish, and crustaceans

Habitat

Tropical coral reefs

Depth

سطح up to 40 m

GBIF Taxon Key: 2441799

Scientific note

The hawksbill sea turtle is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in the genus Eretmochelys. The species has a global distribution that is largely limited to tropical and subtropical marine and estuary ecosystems.

Main threats

الاتجار بالصدف
تدهور الشعاب
الصيد العرضي
التلوث

Notes

✦منقارها الدقيق يساعدها في استخراج الإسفنج من شقوق الشعاب
✦يمكنها هضم الإسفنج الذي يكون ساماً لمعظم الكائنات
✦تضع بيضها ليلاً وتعود إلى الشاطئ ذاته كل 2-5 سنوات

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kimberlylrandal · CC BY-NC

VU — Vulnerable In the Red Sea

Loggerhead Sea Turtle

Caretta caretta

Cheloniidae · Testudines

Length

70–213 cm

Weight

80–200 kg

Lifespan

47–67 years

Diet

Crustaceans, gastropods, and jellyfish

Habitat

Open oceans and coastal bays

Depth

سطح up to 200 m

GBIF Taxon Key: 2441783

Scientific note

The loggerhead sea turtle, loggerhead turtle or loggerhead, is a species of sea turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around 90 cm (35 in) in carapace length when fully grown. The adult loggerhead sea turtle weighs approximately 135 kg (298 lb), with the largest specimens weighing about 200 kg (440 lb). The skin ranges from yellow to brown in color, and the shell is typically reddish brown. No external differences in sex are seen until the turtle becomes an adult, the most obvious difference being t

Main threats

الصيد الجائر
التلوث البلاستيكي
فقدان مواقع التعشيش

Notes

✦تعيش up to 50 years أو أكثر في البرية
✦فكوكها قادرة على سحق بلح البحر والسرطانات بسهولة
✦تهاجر عبر المحيط الأطلسي والهادئ بأكمله

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azure27014 · CC BY-NC

VU — Vulnerable

Leatherback Sea Turtle

Dermochelys coriacea

Dermochelyidae · Testudines

Length

130–183 cm

Weight

250–700 kg

Lifespan

45 years

Diet

Almost exclusively jellyfish

Habitat

Open water and polar seas

Depth

سطح up to 1,200 m

GBIF Taxon Key: 2441795

Scientific note

The leatherback sea turtle, sometimes called the lute turtle, leathery turtle or simply the luth, is the largest of all living turtles and the heaviest non-crocodilian reptile, reaching lengths of up to 2.7 metres and weights of 500 kilograms (1,100 lb). It is the only living species in the genus Dermochelys and family Dermochelyidae. It can easily be differentiated from other modern sea turtles by its lack of a bony shell; instead, its carapace is covered by oily flesh and flexible, leather-like skin, for which it is named. Leatherback turtles have a global range, although there are multiple

Main threats

البلاستيك (يُشبه قنديل البحر)
الصيد العرضي
التلوث الضوئي

Notes

✦تستطيع الغوص إلى 1,200 m وهو أعمق أي سلحفاة
✦يمكنها تحمّل درجات تصل إلى -2 درجة مئوية
✦تبكي أثناء التعشيش لإزالة الملح الزائد من الجcm

Marine mammals

Dolphins, whales, and dugong in Red Sea waters

Protection: Red Sea marine mammals face rising pressure from fishing, pollution, and port development. The dugong is especially threatened by seagrass loss. Dolphins are affected by unregulated tourism and ship noise.

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rafi1 · CC BY-NC

LC — Least Concern In the Red Sea

Common Bottlenose Dolphin

Tursiops truncatus

Delphinidae · Artiodactyla (Cetacea)

Length

190–390 cm

Weight

150–650 kg

Lifespan

40–60 years

Diet

Fishes, octopus, and shrimp

Habitat

Coastal and open water

Depth

سطح up to 600 m

GBIF Taxon Key: 2440462

Scientific note

The common bottlenose dolphin or Atlantic bottlenose dolphin is one of three species of bottlenose dolphin in the genus Tursiops. While formerly known simply as the bottlenose dolphin, this term is now applied to the genus Tursiops as a whole. As considerable genetic variation has been described within this species, even between neighboring populations, many experts think additional species may be recognized and split out.

Main threats

الصيد العرضي
التلوث الكيميائي
الضجيج البحري

Notes

✦يمتلك كل دلفين صافرة فريدة تُعادل اcmه
✦يغفو بنصف دماغه فقط ليبقى واعياً للتنفس
✦يمكنه السباحة بسرعة 35 كم/ساعة

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ktnt · CC BY-NC

LC — Least Concern In the Red Sea

Spinner Dolphin

Stenella longirostris

Delphinidae · Artiodactyla (Cetacea)

Length

129–235 cm

Weight

23–79 kg

Lifespan

20 years

Diet

Small fishes and squid

Habitat

Tropical open water

Depth

سطح up to 300 m

GBIF Taxon Key: 2440427

Scientific note

The spinner dolphin is a small dolphin found in off-shore tropical waters around the world. It is famous for its acrobatic displays in which it rotates around its longitudinal axis as it leaps through the air. It is a member of the family Delphinidae of toothed whales.

Main threats

الصيد العرضي
السياحة المكثفة
التلوث

Notes

✦يستطيع الدوران up to 7 مرات في القفزة الواحدة
✦يصطاد ليلاً في الأعماق مستخدماً الصدى
✦يُشكّل أحياناً مجموعات بأكثر من 1,000 فرد

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heinrichhuman · CC BY-NC

VU — Vulnerable In the Red Sea

Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin

Sousa chinensis

Delphinidae · Artiodactyla (Cetacea)

Length

160–280 cm

Weight

85–220 kg

Lifespan

40 years

Diet

Coastal fishes and molluscs

Habitat

Shallow coastal water and estuaries

Depth

سطح up to 25 m

GBIF Taxon Key: 2440424

Scientific note

The Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin is a species of humpback dolphin inhabiting coastal waters of the eastern Indian and western Pacific Oceans. This species is often referred to as the Chinese white dolphin in mainland China, Macau, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan as a common name. Some biologists regard the Indo-Pacific dolphin as a subspecies of the Indian Ocean humpback dolphin which ranges from East Africa to India. However, DNA testing studies have shown that the two are distinct species. A new species, the Australian humpback dolphin, was split off from S. chinensis and recognized as a di

Main threats

التطوير الساحلي
التلوث
الصيد
حركة المراكب

Notes

✦يتحوّل لون البالغين تدريجياً من رمادي إلى زهري
✦يُشكّل مجموعات صغيرة من 3-7 أفراد عادةً
✦يقضي معظم حياته في منطقة ساحلية صغيرة جداً

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markgrtdixon · CC BY-NC

VU — Vulnerable

Sperm Whale

Physeter macrocephalus

Physeteridae · Artiodactyla (Cetacea)

Length

1100–2000 cm (الذكر)

Weight

13,600–57,000 kg

Lifespan

70 years

Diet

Giant squid and large fishes

Habitat

Open-ocean depths

Depth

سطح up to 3,000 m

GBIF Taxon Key: 2440719

Scientific note

The sperm whale or cachalot is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator. It is the only living member of the genus Physeter and one of three extant species in the sperm whale superfamily Physeteroidea, along with the pygmy sperm whale and dwarf sperm whale of the genus Kogia.

Main threats

الصيد التاريخي
التلوث بالبلاستيك
الضجيج البحري
تصادم السفن

Notes

✦يمتلك أكبر دماغ عرفه الإنسان في التاريخ (9 kg)
✦صوته هو الأعلى بين الحيوانات (يصل 230 ديسيبل)
✦يُنتج العنبر الرمادي في أمعائه المستخدم في صناعة العطور

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Gisela Dionisio · CC by-nc/4.0

EN — Endangered

Blue Whale

Balaenoptera musculus

Balaenopteridae · Artiodactyla (Cetacea)

Length

2200–3300 cm

Weight

100,000–180,000 kg

Lifespan

80–110 years

Diet

Krill (small shrimp)

Habitat

All oceans

Depth

سطح up to 500 m

GBIF Taxon Key: 2440714

Scientific note

The blue whale is a species of baleen whale and the largest marine mammal in the rorqual family Balaenopteridae. Reaching a maximum confirmed length of 29.9–30.5 m (98–100 ft) and weighing up to 190–200 t, it is the largest animal known to have ever existed. The blue whale's long and slender body can be of various shades of greyish-blue on its upper surface and somewhat lighter underneath. Four subspecies are recognized: B. m. musculus in the North Atlantic and North Pacific, B. m. intermedia in the Southern Ocean, B. m. brevicauda in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific Ocean, and B. m. indica

Main threats

الصيد التاريخي
تصادم السفن
ضوضاء المحيطات
تغير المناخ

Notes

✦أكبر حيوان عاش على الأرض على مدى التاريخ بأسره
✦قلبه يزن 590 kg ويضخ دماءه خلال أوعية يسبح فيها الإنسان
✦يأكل 3.6 t من الكريل يومياً رغم أن كريتها بحجم إصبع

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popaul · CC BY-NC

VU — Vulnerable In the Red Sea

Dugong

Dugong dugon

Dugongidae · Sirenia

Length

240–400 cm

Weight

230–908 kg

Lifespan

70 years

Diet

Seagrass only

Habitat

Coastal seagrass meadows

Depth

سطح up to 37 m

GBIF Taxon Key: 2441474

Scientific note

The dugong is a marine mammal. It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest modern relative, Steller's sea cow, was hunted to extinction in the 18th century.

Main threats

فقدان مراعي الأعشاب
الصيد العرضي
اصطدام الزوارق
التطوير الساحلي

Notes

✦يُعتقد أن رؤيته ألهمت أساطير حوريات البحر القديمة
✦يستطيع البقاء تحت الماء 6 دقائق دون تنفس
✦يأكل ما يعادل weight كيس بطاطا (25 kg) من الأعشاب يومياً

Dive ethics with large animals

Safe distance

Keep 3 metres from turtles and 5 metres from marine mammals in all cases

Never touch

Touching removes the protective mucus and exposes the animal to disease and stress

Light and flash

Do not point strong light at the animal — it can cause temporary blindness

Do not surround

Do not form a ring of divers around the animal — always leave a clear escape path

Do not feed

Feeding turtles or dolphins changes natural behaviour and can cause disease

Responsible records

Photography is allowed from a safe distance — report turtle sightings to local conservation programmes

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