Skip links

SHARE YOUR SIGHTINGS

Join the movement to protect the marine turtles in the Red Sea

HOW TO SHARE YOUR SIGHTINGS:

TAKE PICTURES OR VIDEOS

Take pictures/videos of your sightings, in order to identify the turtles you have seen. In particular, we need pictures of the right and left facial profiles (plus some special features or the whole carapace if you manage).

Right profile

Share marine turtles photos

Left profile

Share marine turtles photos

COLLECT DATA

During your sighting collect some data on the turtle in order to help us to identify it.

Required info
  • Photographer
  • Date
  • Location
  • Permission to share your pictures
Optional info
  • Dive center / independent
  • Time
  • Depth
  • Water temperature
  • Species
  • Activity at first sight
  • Approx. size
  • Sex
  • Other info

SEND US YOUR DATA

Fill this form with all your data on the turtle sighting and send it to us!

    REQUIRED DATA

    Upload your photos or videos* (min.1 max.10):
    This is the most important information related to your sighting. We need one or more pictures of the turtles you have seen, in order to be able to identify them to individual level. We use pictures of the right and left facial profiles to identify single turtles, plus sometimes we collect pictures of special features (scars, malformations, missing flippers) or the whole carapace that can facilitate the identification. File types allowed: .jpg, .png, .tiff, .mp4, .mov. E-mail address*: Name of the photographer*:
    Who took the pictures you are sharing? This information is used to credit the photographer when pictures are shared in social media or used in presentations for educational purposes. Date*:
    When was the picture taken? This information is used to see if there are differences in marine turtle distribution according to the season. Town*:
    What is the name of the nearest town to your sighting spot? Location*:
    Where was the picture taken? What is the common name of the dive / snorkeling site? This information is used to identify areas important for marine turtles.

    OPTIONAL DATA

    Name of the dive centre/independent:
    Were you by your own or in excursion with a dive centre? Who organized the trip? This information will help us promote dive and snorkeling centres that are part of our Turtlewatch – Egypt 2.0 network. This information is generally used to acknowledge canters participation in our project in social media. Time:
    What was the time when you first saw the turtle? Depth (in meters):
    At what depth did you see the turtle? If you are reporting a turtle seen while snorkelling, you can say if the turtle was at the surface, mid-water or at the bottom. Water temperature (in Celsius degrees):
    What was the temperature of the water when you saw a turtle? This information is used with the information on the date of the sighting to understand how the water temperature impacts the presence / absence of turtles. If you were diving and had a diving computer, you will have this information. Activity at first sight*:
    What was the turtle doing when you first saw it? When more than a turtle is observed at the same time, usually they are fighting, involved in courtship behaviour or mating.

    Species*:
    Can you identify what turtle you saw? You can use the identification key in the “species” section in our website.

    Approximate carapace size (SCL in cm):
    How long was the carapace of the turtle you saw? You can provide an estimate of the turtle’s straight carapace length (SCL; is the length of the carapace only, from the neck to the tail of the turtle without considering the curvature of the carapace). You can find more information about it in the “did you know” section in our website. The data is used to understand whether a turtle is juvenile or adult based on the SCL. Sex*:
    It can be identified only in adult or sub-adult individuals (carapace length of more than 70cm). The best way to identify the sex of a turtle is by observing its tail. If the tail extends well beyond the carapace (>20cm), it is an adult male. The tail of a female turtle is short and usually extends only slightly beyond the end of the carapace (< 10cm). You can find more information about it in the “did you know” section in our website.

    Other information/comments:
    Have you seen anything special like an unusual behaviour or an unusual feature on the turtle? Was the turtle in distress or injured?
Let us know any other information that you think could be useful.

    DATA TREATMENT AND AUTHORIZATION

    I allow TurtleWatch Egypt 2.0 to use my digital contents (photos and videos) and the data entered in this form for didactic, educational and scientific use.

    I allow TurtleWatch Egypt 2.0 to use my digital contents (photos and videos) and the data entered in this form for marketing and advertising use (social media, magazines, ..).

    I authorize the treatment and management of personal data.

    WHAT HAPPENS WITH YOUR DATA?

    The collected data will be reviewed by our staff, inserted into our Red Sea Turtles database and will be used to generate spatial and temporal distribution maps. In the long term, this data will also help us to estimate population trends and abundance.

    We use your pictures only in promotional and educational material. We will credit the photographer in all occasions. We will contact you if we would like to use your images in publications like dive magazines or posters.

    See the sightings map and find your turtle!

    Find out your turtles’ sightings in the Red Sea.

    Sightings map
    815
    Turtles registered
    9612
    Turtles sightings

    DOWNLOAD THE MANUAL TO FIND OUT MORE

    DOWNLOAD

    Support TurtleWatch Egypt 2.0!

    Donate Become a volounteer