Bu Tinah

Hawksbill turtle

Introduction

Bu Tinah Island is home to the most critically endangered species of sea turtle in the world.

Eretmochelys imbricata (Linnaeus, 1776)

Of the seven species of marine turtles worldwide, two species occur in Abu Dhabi waters having a total foraging population of around 5,500 turtles in winter. In summer period, around 7,500 turtles inhabit Abu Dhabi waters.

The most common species is the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) or locally known as ‘Sulhafa dhat manqar as-saqr’, which nests on 18 out of 28 islands surveyed in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, including on Bu Tinah island. The total length of the nesting beach in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi is estimated to be 16 km (2008). E. imbricata feeds on a wide variety of invertebrates and algae. The nesting period is from May to July with average clutch sizes around 80-85 eggs. The hatchlings mostly emerge from July to September. Data collected through satellite telemetry reveals that E. imbricata does not migrate out of the Arabian Gulf but move around the foraging habitats within the Gulf.

The other common turtle is the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) or locally known as ‘Sulhafa khadra’ which forage in Abu Dhabi waters but doesn’t nest here. C. mydas feeds almost exclusively on seagrasses and seaweeds.

The hawksbill turtle (E. imbricata) is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List. Listed on Appendix I of CITES, and Appendix I of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).

The green turtle (C. mydas) is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List. Listed on Appendix I of CITES and Appendices I and II of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).