From whale sharks to sea turtles: protecting Qatar’s sea life

How is Qatar helping to conserve some of nature’s most endangered sea creatures? Qatar 365 took to the ocean to find out more about the country’s projects that include protecting nesting sea turtles, stopping boats from harming whale sharks and restoring the food source of dugongs.

Qatar is home to the world's second largest population of dugongs, or sea cows. The sea mammal is at a very high risk of extinction. 

But a unique project in Qatar is focusing on increasing their food source in an attempt to stop them from disappearing from our oceans.

Evidence of the marine mammals dates back millions of years - now they face serious risks as they come up for air; from speedboats or fishing nets. In the last 50 years their numbers have dropped by around 25 percent.

“We hope these dugongs can be seen by our son, by our grandson and great grandson. How to do that? You need to protect them now,” said Dr Mehsin Al Yafei, a marine scientist.

Dugongs feed on seagrass, eating up to 40 kilograms per day. The equivalent of roughly two football fields is lost each year – which is why a team of experts here are attempting to rebuild and restore seagrass meadows. 

The team collects samples – checking on the water quality to see if new plants are thriving. The meadows provide shelter, refuge, and food for many marine species.

The elusive whale shark is also at risk of dying out. With characteristic dotted fins, these gentle giants have become an endangered species over the years. But there is one place off Qatar’s coastline where hundreds can still be seen gathering each year.

Leading whale shark research scientist Mohammed Jaidah explains why the location is so special: “This is a phenomena that happens in Al Shaheen. In summer there is a lot