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As a lifeguard at the Monte-Carlo Beach Club, Saadiyat, Viktor Bondarchuk is always ready to swing into action. But the 27-year-old from Ukraine got the most unusual distress call of his career when he spotted an endangered hawksbill turtle being tossed around in the waves at Saadiyat beach.
Mr Bondarchuk enlisted the help of the club’s Recreation Manager and resident environmentalist Clare Patterson, who helped save the young turtle’s life by putting it in a bucket of water and calling in experts from the Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) of Abu Dhabi, owners of Monte Carlo Beach club and master developer of Saadiyat island. The turtle – named Vik Bond in recognition of the man who rescued him – is now undergoing rehabilitation at the turtle rehabilitation centre in the Burj al Arab in Dubai and will be released back into the sea later this year.
He is believed to be one of 300 hawksbills that hatched last summer in a protected nesting ground on part of the 9km stretch of beach outside the Monte-Carlo Beach Club, Saadiyat. The hawksbill, whose worldwide population has declined by more than 80% over the last 100 years, is listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List. TDIC has a stringent conservation plan in place to ensure the turtles continue to thrive on Saadiyat – one of the creature’s dwindling number of habitats.
In winter months when the sea is cold, turtles tend to rest under rocks in a dormant state. They eat less and therefore have less energy and when they surface to breathe they can be caught up in strong waves and swept ashore, where they can only survive for a couple of days because of the dry conditions and a lack of food.
Mr Bondarchuk said: “We have learned all about the turtles and how special they are and I was happy to be able to be involved in saving this one. We hope he has a fast recovery and can join his friends back in the open sea soon.”
A few days after the life-saving mission, a second turtle was discovered upturned on the same stretch of beach, this time by a security guard. He also called in Ms Patterson who again made sure the young hawksbill was delivered safely into the care of TDIC.
Ms Patterson, from Scotland, said: “Both of the turtles were juvenile hawksbills and were washed up when the sea was quite rough and the wind was a little higher than usual. The club’s lifeguards watch the waves and security guards are always patrolling the coast so we are in a great position to help if any of the turtles get into trouble. I have a real personal interest in marine nature and we used to find stranded turtles in my last job as Beach Club Manager at the Emirates Palace. Now at the Monte-Carlo Beach Club, Saadiyat we are all being extra vigilant and hope we can help these creatures to thrive here.”
The club has started a ‘Turtle Track’ which will log the dates and times that turtles are found over the coming months and years. Members of the kids’ club – called the Turtle Club – will be asked to name future finds.
TDIC said a total of 20 turtles have been found at various points on Saadiyat Beach so far this winter. TDIC environment manager Millie Plowman said: “This is many more than we would usually expect, perhaps because this winter has been slightly cooler than usual. Last year in the same period we had just two or three.
“Those we have found have been swept in by the strong winds we have experienced recently. I imagine the turtles are in a state similar to hibernation and will not have had much food so they are weaker than usual. Barnacles have taken hold of their shells and they need to be cleaned up and given some nourishment.
“We take the turtles to the turtle rehabilitation centre at the Burj al Arab hotel in Dubai. They are put in fresh water for a few days to kill the barnacles and other marine growth. There, they are fed and monitored over several weeks. Eventually, after they undergo tests to ensure they are in a fit state, they are released back out to sea.”
TDIC’s hawksbill turtle conservation plan consists of guidelines for the Saadiyat coastal dune system, guidelines for construction contractors during nesting season and rules for individual properties to ensure the turtles are not disturbed.
TDIC also has a dedicated resource to monitor all activities – both in construction and in operational properties – to ensure the environment is protected. Resort development is restricted to more than 60 metres back from the seaward edge of the coastal dunes, ensuring there is a buffer zone between construction and the turtles’ habitat.
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