Hawksbill turtle nest hatches on Saadiyat island

The Environmental Services team at Tourism Development '&' Investment Company (TDIC), has announced the successful hatching of the first Hawksbill turtle nest on Saadiyat island for this year. Over 40 baby turtles emerged from the nest, which was located between the Saadiyat Public Beach and the Mote-Carlo Beach Club. Their hatching was observed by members of TDIC's environment team, security guards and members of the public, some of whom also assisted in guiding a few confused hatchlings. "We are very excited that the eggs - which are from this season's first batch - have hatched safely. After being alerted by security guards at Saadiyat Public Beach, we observed them and helped guide some hatchlings safely to the sea. They were confused because the nest was located a bit farther away from the shoreline than usual," said Dr. Nathalie Staelens, Head of Environmental Services at TDIC. The Saadiyat Beach plays host to several Hawksbill turtle nests every year. Once a nest is identified, steps are taken to ensure its safety and the security of its hatchlings under TDIC's Hawksbill Turtle Conservation Programme. Since the start of the programme in early 2010, some 650 eggs have hatched successfully on Saadiyat. Operational guidelines further protect the nesting sites by restricting beach access to pedestrians who reach the beach via elevated boardwalks, therefore preventing people from walking through the delicate dune system and potentially disturbing the nests. TDIC has taken additional steps to ensure the protection of Saadiyat's coastal dune system and the safety of the hawksbill turtles - listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List. Among them, restricting resort development on Saadiyat Beach to at least 60 metres back from the seaward edge of the coastal dunes, creating a buffer zone which serves as a physical barrier between construction and operations and the Saadiyat Dune Protection Zone nesting beach. This ensures that the turtles continue to nest even during the construction and operations of projects on the island.