Endangered Turtles escorted to safety at Iru Fushi

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

This August, after a nerve-wracking 54-day incubation period, Hilton Maldives Iru Fushi Resort & Spa was proud to welcome a batch of newly hatched Green Sea Turtles to the world. Emerging from eggs buried beneath the powdery white sand of the resort’s private beach, the rare and beautiful event was eagerly awaited by staff and guests alike.

“Sea turtles are among the world’s most ancient and serene creatures,” said General Manager Jean-Sebastien Kling. “We are very proud to be the chosen hotel of this endangered animal and took all precautions possible to ensure that as many of our ‘guests’ made their way to their ocean home as possible.”

With a thousand-to-one chance of newborns surviving to adulthood, sea turtles are extremely endangered. After hatching at night, they head blindly towards the sea, guided solely by instinct. Without support, as few as one in ten will survive to see sunrise, predated by opportunistic animals. For this reason with the help of specialist advice, Hilton Maldives Iru Fushi Resort & Spa took steps to ensure their safety; including sign-posting the nesting site to make certain the eggs were not trampled.

When the baby turtles began to hatch, team members collected the newborns and transported them beyond the resort’s busy lagoon, safeguarding their passage across the activity-filled beach. Once in open water, approximately 60 baby turtles were gradually released into the clear-blue ocean; with staff looking on as they quickly swam towards freedom.

Female sea turtles, once matured, return to the same nesting ground in order to lay their eggs. It is hoped that the resort will be able to welcome the turtles home, albeit in 30 or so years.

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