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UAE: Rare nest of green turtles spotted for first time in Abu Dhabi

Although the species is found extensively in the emirate's waters, nesting activity has never been reported before

A nest of green turtles, classified as an endangered species, has been spotted for the first time in the Capital, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) announced.

During its annual turtle survey and as part of the marine assessment and conservation programme, the EAD recorded the rare sighting at one of the core hawksbill turtle nesting sites in the Al Dhafra region.

Although green turtles are found extensively in Abu Dhabi’s waters, nesting activity has never been reported before.

Ahmed Al Hashmi, executive director of the terrestrial and marine biodiversity sector at EAD, noted the nest was found during one of the nocturnal turtle surveys.

“Abu Dhabi offshore islands are known hawksbill turtle nesting sites, however, this discovery is considered an aberration and will be added to the sporadic records of green turtle nesting behaviour in the UAE and in countries along the Arabian Gulf,” Al Hashmi said.

In Abu Dhabi, most hawksbill and green turtles have been spotted in the waters of the Al Dhafra region between the islands of Abu Al Abyadh and Bu Tinah, as well as in the waters bordering the islands of Al Yasat and Muhayimat. These areas offer extensive seagrass beds, marine algae, and coral reef habitats.

“We normally conduct annual monitoring of all recognised and potential nesting areas, and although green turtles forage extensively on seagrass meadows in Abu Dhabi, no evidence has ever been found to suggest that they have nested in any other location within the Abu Dhabi emirate. We have also seen from previous satellite tracking studies on Abu Dhabi’s green turtles that the majority have migrated to Oman to nest before making their way back to our waters.”

More than 6,000 turtles

Nesting takes place between mid-March to mid-June, and usually, more than 200 nests are reported during the season. Hatching usually occurs between mid-June to early August. Females are selective when choosing their nest site and have often been spotted emerging onto a beach for several consecutive nights before finding an ideal spot with soft sand, secluded from human activity.

“The island where the nest was seen is characterised by multiple, small pocket beaches separated by rocky outcrops – a contrast to Oman’s long and wide beaches where green sea turtles nest in abundance, which is why this is an unexpected sighting, but EAD is committed to continuing extensive monitoring of all confirmed and potential beaches for any similar occurrences.”

There are seven marine turtle species found worldwide. Four species can be spotted in Abu Dhabi’s waters, with a total population of more than 6,000 individuals – two of which, the hawksbill and green turtle – are predominantly found here, with two other species – the Loggerhead turtle and the Olive Ridley turtle – considered occasional visitors.

The increased nesting and hatchling activity recorded during the survey provides further evidence of Abu Dhabi’s healthy marine ecosystems and reinforces the effectiveness of EAD’s robust marine environment protection and rehabilitation policies and its efforts to establish and manage natural reserves through the Sheikh Zayed Protect Areas Network. Its six marine reserves represent 14 per cent of the emirate’s marine environment area and contribute to preserving biodiversity and the stability of important species in Abu Dhabi.

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