ABU DHABI: Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has announced that about 300 Hawksbill turtles have hatched this season at its Al Taweelah beach. This adds to the total of around 7,500 turtles hatched near EGA’s operations since 2011.

Hawksbill turtles are critically endangered and the only sea turtles that lay eggs in the UAE. EGA’s Sustainability team closely monitors the beach during the nesting season to protect the nests from predators and debris, and to care for any injured or sick turtles.

Since the start of the monitoring program, 116 nests have been laid on the beach by these turtles. This year, four turtles needed special care and were taken to the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Centre at Burj Al Arab for expert treatment before being released back into the sea.

Before each nesting season, EGA organizes a beach clean-up with volunteers from across the company. In January, EGA employees removed about 1,300 kilograms of waste from the beach.

Abdulnasser bin Kalban, CEO of Emirates Global Aluminium, stated, “We are dedicated to protecting wildlife near our operations. We are proud to help conserve these beautiful turtles, which are a vital part of the UAE’s natural heritage. Our team is committed to making our beach a safe place for them, and we’re thrilled with another successful hatching season.”

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Hawksbill turtles live between 30 and 50 years and can lay 100 to 150 eggs each nesting season.