Dubai: Some 140 baby turtles hatched at the Jebel Ali Marine Sanctuary on Tuesday morning and were released into the sea by afternoon.
The baby Hawksbills (Eretmochelys imbricata), which hatched from two nests, were first weighed and measured at the sanctuary near Ghantoot Reserve before being released into sea by the Emirates Marine Environmental Group (EMEG).
Hawksbills are so named for their narrow and pointed beak like that of a hawk. Their shells have a distinctive pattern of overlapping scales that form a serrated-look on the edges.
Major Ali Saqar Sultan Al Suwaidi, head of EMEG, said that the baby turtles — just about the size of a golf ball — were released into the sea despite the threats they face naturally. Hatchlings immediately make their way to the sea in a mad rush once they hatch and leave their nests.
“They are programmed to be at sea as soon as they hatch. We cannot keep them in the nursery for longer because they’ll lose their navigation skills,” Al Suwaidi told Gulf News.
“Sadly, the survival rate is only about 10 per cent. They face many predators: birds, fish, and other marine animals. Those who survive hide in the algae and may reach about 10 miles. They will feed on small algae and grow into a good size after a year,” Al Suwaidi said.
Al Suwaidi said it will take 15 years for the turtles to mature before they can reproduce.
Other threats exist such as foxes that scavenge turtle nests and eat eggs. Sometimes humans play with the eggs, too.
“They will nest in the same place where they hatch. That is why it is important that we protect this place. Otherwise, they won’t know where to build their nests.”
Al Suwaidi said out of the 40 nests at the reserve this year, four have already hatched, giving a total of 286 baby turtles released into the sea in three batches. The rest are expected to hatch this summer. Nesting season starts in March and ends in May.