Abu Dhabi: The first Hawksbill turtle nest hatched on Saadiyat Beach this year, the Tourism and Development Invest Company (TDIC) announced.
More than 80 baby turtles emerged from the nest, which is located adjacent to the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas on Saadiyat Beach.
“Once they hatch, the number of baby turtles born on Saadiyat will reach over 1,100 since we established our Hawksbill turtle conservation programme,” Arabella Willing, marine biologist at Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas, said.
After gestating for 50 to 70 days, hatchlings emerge from their nests and make their way to the sea. The TDIC has put measures in place to ensure turtles find their way safely such as reducing lighting and the removal of any beach furniture at night. Moreover, guests and residents are asked to switch off outdoor lights when they are not outside, draw their curtains at night to minimise light spill, refrain from going to the beach after dark and avoid turtle tracks so they can be recorded by the TDIC.
