Dubai's wildlife splits between two habitats with almost nothing in common. The first is desert. The Arabian oryx, the national animal, had gone from the wild by 1972 and came back only through captive breeding; it now grazes in herds alongside sand gazelle. The Arabian hare and sand fox keep to dusk; the Arabian wolf is seen by very few. Nearly all of it sits inside the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, 225 square kilometres entered only with a licensed operator.

The second habitat is the coast. At Ras Al Khor, where the Creek widens into salt flats, thousands of flamingos winter between November and March; the sanctuary lists over 450 species and its three hides are free. Offshore there are bottlenose and Indian humpback dolphins, green turtles and hawksbills. A rehabilitation centre at a Jumeirah hotel returns treated turtles to the gulf, with Wednesday releases open to anyone free of charge. The falcon is the national bird, with shows here and a hospital of its own in Abu Dhabi.

Plan for November to March. In summer they move at first light and settle by mid-morning, so only a pre-dawn start works. Bring binoculars: distances are long and approaching animals is not permitted. Inside protected areas the rules are enforced — no leaving the marked track, no feeding, no drones. If a sighting has to be guaranteed on a fixed date, the mall aquarium and Green Planet run all year, but those are captive collections. Ask whether the operator's permit covers the reserve itself.