TurtleTurtle

About

TurtleTurtle-RedSea is an interactive sea turtle photo-identification game that allows you to learn about the sea turtles of the Egyptian Red Sea while having fun matching their faces.

You can play endlessly trying to match sea turtle faces and in the same time learn facts about their lives! All the green and hawksbill turtles featured in the game have been monitored for years through TurtleWatch Egypt 2.0’s long-term research and citizen science program. When you successfully match a turtle, a pop-up window appears showing its story, biological information, and conservation facts from the Red Sea.

Your task is to match turtles using photo-identification (photo-ID), a scientific method widely used in sea turtle research. Each turtle has a unique pattern of facial scales that does not change over time. The pattern on the left side of the face is different from the right side, but there are enough similarities to allow matching turtles from opposite profiles. This is much more challenging than matching photos showing the same side, especially when images are unclear or taken from different angles.

There are four difficulty levels (Easy, Medium, Hard, and Expert) based on image quality, head orientation, and species. Green turtle facial patterns are generally easier to match, while hawksbill turtles often present more difficulties, making identification more challenging. Artificial intelligence algorithms can also perform this task, but they often struggle with low-quality images, different orientations, and species-specific variability. Can you do better?

All turtle photos in the game come from TurtleWatch Egypt 2.0’s photo-ID database, built since 2011 with contributions from tourists, divers, local communities and organizations, and researchers. The game is based on the original TurtleTurtle concept originally created for the sea turtles of Zakynthos Island, Greece, with support from Queen Mary University of London. The Red Sea version was adapted and developed by the original TurtleTurtle with funding provided by an International Sea Turtle Society Innovation Grant.

You can get involved in sea turtle conservation in the Red Sea by sharing your sightings with, volunteering for, or supporting TurtleWatch Egypt 2.0.

Did you see a sea turtle in the Red Sea and want to learn more about its story? You can submit your photo or video here. By doing so, you will contribute to sea turtle conservation in the Red Sea, helping improve scientific knowledge. The TurtleWatch Egypt 2.0 team will share with you the results of your sighting once the identification process is complete.

Do you have your own sea turtle photo-ID project and you would like to create such a game with your photos! We can help you set it up for free and host your game in your own server. You don’t have to send us your data! Please contact Kostas Papafitsoros if you are interested!