Dubai hatches plan to save Hawksbill sea turtles

Dubai: Hawksbill turtles keep coming to Dubai's shores to nest but development, amongst other threats, has led to their overall number to decline triggering an environmental group to relocate eggs.

The Emirates Marine Environmental Group (EMEG) located in Ghantoot has been working to protect sea turtle eggs laid between the Jebel Ali Resort and the group's reserve.

According to Major Ali Saqer Al Suwaidi, Head of EMEG, the hawksbill and some green turtles have been nesting in this area for centuries, while the Gulf area is a nesting area for many different species of turtles.

Al Suwaidi believes there has been a drastic decline in turtles in the area.

According to Rima Jabado, marine programme director at EMEG, all species of turtles are endangered, but the main threats to turtles here is loss of habitat due to development, discarded nets and collisions with boats.

In an attempt to give hawksbill turtles a fighting chance of survival, EMEG has been working to relocate eggs to safer areas. "We are moving the eggs from areas where they could be impacted either by development or because they were laid on the high water mark. This year we monitored the beach area from the Jebel Ali Resort to Ghantoot," said Jabado.

"All eggs are buried back into the sand. We dig a pit the same size as the one we found them in - usually 50 to 60 centimetres [deep] - put the eggs in, and cover them in sand again."

Around 15 nests are found every year on this beach with between 80 to 120 eggs in each nest.

"Turtles are likely to be nesting on other beaches in Dubai but there is no proper monitoring on what species could be nesting and in what numbers," said Jabado.

All species endangered

• There are seven species of sea turtles around the world and all species are endangered.
• The sex of sea turtles is determined by the temperature at which the eggs incubate. At 28C green turtle hatchlings develop into males while at 31C they develop into females.
• It can take a hatchling anything between 24 and 48 hours to surface from the nest.