Qatar Museums' Culture Pass members will have the opportunity to witness the process of nesting and hatching of hawksbill turtles at Fuwairit beach from next month. “You asked – we delivered! The Hawksbill turtle hatching season is here, and we are happy to facilitate visits to our Cultural Pass members to participate in visiting the nesting grounds located in Fuwairit for the month of July and August, on Thursday to Tuesday between 6pm and 8pm,” Qatar Museums (QM) Chairperson HE Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani said on her Facebook page Sunday.
According to QM, visits will be organised to the nesting ground between July 2 and August 31, but priority of booking will be given to Culture Pass Plus and Family members. The mating season for these critically endangered species occurs every two years and nesting period starts in late March or early April where female turtles look for suitable grounds to lay their eggs.
These eggs hatch after two months and the young turtles instinctively crawl towards the sea. While hawksbill turtles also nest at Lehwaylah, Ras Laffan, Al Ghariyah, Al Marounah, Al Mafeer, Haloul, Sharaawah, Rukn islands, and Umm Tees beaches, it is learnt that Fuwairit remains to be the most common breeding area in Qatar.
Besides from being away from buildings and camping sites, Fuwairit beach’s serene atmosphere and soft sand makes it a suitable place for nesting where turtles can dig easily. According to the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME), Fuwairit is closed from April every year to prepare for the nesting season, aimed at protecting the turtles and their eggs. However, a number of field visits (turtle nesting watch) in the area are organised for people to see, especially at night.
“The hawksbill turtle hatching season has arrived and we would like to welcome you to witness this miracle of life in its purest form,” QM told Culture Pass members on its e-mail yesterday. QM noted that each visit will be limited to only eight attendees, including children aged five and above, to maintain social distancing. Wearing of face mask is also required aimed at preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) in the country.
Other precautionary measures, in compliance with health and safety recommendations issued by the Ministry of Public Health, will also be in place such as requiring attendees to present a “green” health code on their Ehteraz mobile application, and using their own cars for transportation. QM also advised attendees to bring their own torches or lighting devices for easy viewing at night.
Efforts to protect these sea turtles on Qatar’s northern coast and in a number of islands started in 2003 led by Qatar Petroleum, Qatar University and the MME.
These eggs hatch after two months and the young turtles instinctively crawl towards the sea. While hawksbill turtles also nest at Lehwaylah, Ras Laffan, Al Ghariyah, Al Marounah, Al Mafeer, Haloul, Sharaawah, Rukn islands, and Umm Tees beaches, it is learnt that Fuwairit remains to be the most common breeding area in Qatar.
Besides from being away from buildings and camping sites, Fuwairit beach’s serene atmosphere and soft sand makes it a suitable place for nesting where turtles can dig easily. According to the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME), Fuwairit is closed from April every year to prepare for the nesting season, aimed at protecting the turtles and their eggs. However, a number of field visits (turtle nesting watch) in the area are organised for people to see, especially at night.
“The hawksbill turtle hatching season has arrived and we would like to welcome you to witness this miracle of life in its purest form,” QM told Culture Pass members on its e-mail yesterday. QM noted that each visit will be limited to only eight attendees, including children aged five and above, to maintain social distancing. Wearing of face mask is also required aimed at preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) in the country.
Other precautionary measures, in compliance with health and safety recommendations issued by the Ministry of Public Health, will also be in place such as requiring attendees to present a “green” health code on their Ehteraz mobile application, and using their own cars for transportation. QM also advised attendees to bring their own torches or lighting devices for easy viewing at night.
Efforts to protect these sea turtles on Qatar’s northern coast and in a number of islands started in 2003 led by Qatar Petroleum, Qatar University and the MME.
