Recent observations on green turtle Chelonia mydas movements and nesting in the Egyptian Red Sea

LINA EL SAYED ALY; ISLAM EL-SADEK; AHMED GHALLAB; JASON HOLMBERG; AHMED FOUAD; OMAR ATTUM

The Herpetological Bulletin is a quarterly publication in English. It includes full-length papers, natural history notes, book reviews, and other items of general herpetological interest. Emphasis is placed on natural history and conservation as well as captive care that includes breeding, husbandry, veterinary, and behavioural aspects.

pdf 05. Recent observations on green turtle Chelonia mydas movements and nesting in the Egyptian Red Sea

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AUTHORS: LINA EL SAYED ALY, ISLAM EL-SADEK, AHMED GHALLAB, JASON HOLMBERG, AHMED FOUAD & OMAR ATTUM

Abstract – Conservation of sea turtles requires identifying vital habitats such as nesting beaches and feeding grounds. Through a citizen science programme that records flipper tags and takes ID photos, we identified a new green turtle migration path between Zabargad Island and Abu Dabbab bay, Egypt. This bay also experienced nesting in 2022, but not in 2021 and 2023. The identification of this migration route supports an earlier assessment that Zabargad is one of the most valuable green turtle rookeries in the Red Sea and that Abu Dabbab bay is an important feeding bay for sea turtles. We also recorded an event in which a tagged green turtle was harvested for consumption, which suggests that females may be vulnerable to this threat during the nesting season. Our data justifies protecting any historic nesting beach in the Red Sea based upon its potential as future nesting activity could be the result of turtles returning from a hatching event 20–30 years ago and nesting beaches may not be used each year.