Abu Dhabi, April 25 (IANS/WAM) The Hawksbill turtles, a critically endangered species, have begun assembling in the coastal area of Abu Dhabi for nesting.

A group of sea turtles have begun nesting on Bu Tinah Island. Last week, 5 nests were seen and the number is expected to increase over the coming months, said the researchers of the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD).

The Hawksbill turtles have been arriving onto the beach to nest as night falls on the Island. They were seen to be digging a pit in the sand, laying their eggs, covering it with sand and then returning to the sea.

"Bu Tinah Island's beaches provide a quiet and peaceful nesting ground for Hawksbill turtles. This is yet another reason why Bu Tinah Island deserves to be one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. We urge people to vote for it," said Thabit Al Abdessalaam, Director of EAD's Biodiversity Management Sector.

Although a clutch of Hawksbill eggs consists of 80 to 125 eggs, the majority of hatchlings do not make it to adulthood as they get preyed on by seabirds or crabs.

Hawksbill sea turtles are listed as critically endangered under the IUCN Redlist and are the only sea turtles known to nest on Abu Dhabi's offshore islands.

Bu Tinah Island, located around 130 km west of Abu Dhabi, is a core area of the Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve, the first marine biosphere reserve in the region.