Plucky turtles take to the sea from Saadiyat Beach

More than 300 hawksbill turtle eggs hatched safely on Saadiyat Beach last week, under the observation of Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) — developer of Saadiyat Island.The company's qualified environment affairs team monitored the hatching, as they have done in previous years. The nine-kilometre stretch of pristine beach hosts several hawksbill turtle nests every year. The turtle eggs hatched from nests at the northern end of Saadiyat, between Monte Carlo Beach Club and the property boundary.The hawksbill is listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List, as its worldwide population has declined by more than 80 per cent in the last three generations. This decline is due to various factors, including the loss of nesting habitats. TDIC's environment affairs team has a stringent conservation plan in place to ensure that, as development progresses on Saadiyat, the creatures will continue to nest on the beach. The hawksbill turtle conservation plan consists of a number of important elements, including guidelines for the protection of the Saadiyat coastal dune system, guidelines for construction contractors during the turtle nesting season, lighting guidelines and assessments for operational developments, and a dedicated environmental resource that monitors and audits construction activities and properties currently under operation on Saadiyat. As well as this, TDIC has restricted development on the Beach to 60 metres. The Saadiyat Dune Protection Zone provides a barrier between the proposed construction and operations and the nesting beach. Pedestrians are guided to the beach on elevated walkways, to stop them from disturbing the nests.Millie Plowman, Environment Manager at TDIC, said: "Hawksbill turtles are threatened by extinction, which is significantly due to the loss of nesting habitats. "We are, therefore, extremely happy that the protection of the Saadiyat dune system has encouraged the hawksbills to return year after year to nest on Saadiyat Beach despite the construction activities. Our aim is to ensure that all turtle eggs hatch safely and that the hatchlings make it to the water..."