ABU DHABI // More than 80 hawksbill turtles emerged from their nests on Saadiyat Beach in the first successful hatching this year.
The species is critically endangered so the site owner, the Tourism and Development Investment Company, has taken steps to guarantee that the turtles can safely lay their eggs on the beach.
Arabella Willing, the resident marine biologist at Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi, said it was “fantastic” the hotel was able to operate “in harmony with the critically endangered species here on Saadiyat”.
“Watching the baby turtles hatch from their nest and run to the sea is one of the best experiences in the world,” she said.
“I’m so thrilled to have seen it happen again.
“After the nest inventory we discovered that more than 80 babies had hatched, which is more than normal.”
After gestating for 50 to 70 days, the hatchlings emerge from their nests and crawl across the sand into the sea.
To ensure that they find their way safely, the TDIC introduced measures such as reducing lighting and removing beach furniture at night.
Guests were also asked to switch off outdoor lights when they were not on their balconies, close their curtains at night to minimise light spill, refrain from going to the beach after dark and to avoid turtle tracks so they could be recorded by the TDIC.
Ms Willing said the latest additions meant that more than 1,100 turtles had hatched on the beach since the hawksbill conservation programme was launched in early 2010.
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