Abu Dhabi: A group of critically endangered sea turtles have begun nesting on Bu Tinah Island, according to researchers from the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD) who are surveying the island's unique biodiversity.
Five nests have been confirmed and the number is expected to increase over the coming months.
In March 2010, EAD launched an international campaign to encourage people to vote for Bu Tinah Island as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. Bu Tinah Island was short listed among 28 finalists from a list of 447 sites and the New 7 Wonders of Nature will be declared in November 2011.
Bu Tinah Island, located around 130 kilometres west of Abu Dhabi, is a core area of the Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve - the first marine biosphere reserve in the region.
Habitat
The Island is unique; in spite of the harsh temperatures and salinity, its habitats and species, including coral, seagrass, dugongs and sea turtles, continue to thrive, making the island an important location for climate change studies.
The Hawksbill turtles have been observed arriving onto the beach to nest as night falls on the island. Marine turtles dig a pit in the sand to lay their eggs, cover it with sand and then return to the sea. Hawksbill sea turtles are listed as critically endangered under the IUCN Redlist and are the only sea turtles known to nest on Abu Dhabi's offshore islands.
