A bale of endangered hawksbill turtles has nested at Jebel Ali Wildlife Sanctuary for the first time.
Dubai Municipality announced the happy news on Tuesday, saying it signalled the beginning of turtle nesting season in the emirate’s beaches.
A photo of the eggs laid in a burrowed hole at the Sanctuary’s sandy beach was shared on Instagram.
Hawksbill turtles are one of the three types of turtle that have settled in the UAE.
The leatherback and olive ridley turtles are migratory species that pass through the country’s waters.
But all five species are listed between Vulnerable to Critically Endangered no the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.
Nesting season usually lasts until September and each turtle nest typically contains about 90 to 100 eggs.
This month, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment revealed a plan to protect the turtles that inhabit the UAE's seas.
The three-year National Plan of Action for the Conservation of Marine Turtles in the UAE aims to expedite local laws to protect turtles and stymie the direct and indirect causes of their deaths.
These causes include abandoned fishing nets, plastic debris and other pollution as well as the destruction of turtle habitats through coastal developments, desalination and climate change.