Most of us would be hard pushed to identify an Eretmochelys imbricata if it swam by. But now a quick visit to Sir Bu Nair Island will reveal a natural reserve dotted with 324 nests of the endangered hawksbill turtle.
The Emirates Marine Environmental Group and Sharjah's Environment and Protected Areas Authority have named the island an environmental and cultural landmark, where not only the hawksbill turtle, but also the similarly endangered green turtle thrive. The biodiversity values extend from the island to the water, inluding species such as the sooty gull and 58 types of reef fish.
These findings can only help to raise awareness about the UAE's growing role helping to safeguard endangered species.
This is not the only island that has become a sanctuary to some of the indigenous creatures of the Gulf. Sir Bani Yas is now habitat to thousands of animals, notably the Arabian oryx, flora native to the UAE and a bird sanctuary. It has also become a tourist attraction, something that Sir Bu Nair will be hoping to emulate.
We were all made aware of the Bu Tinah even though the island missed out on being nominated as one of the "New Seven Wonders of Nature". More impotantly, the campaign raised awareness of the importance of conserving natural habitats. That effort is still very much alive.
