The recent event in which a loggerhead turtle laid 79 eggs in the sand in Ġnejna has generated a great deal of curiosity about these lovely creatures among beachgoers and the public at large.
Nature Trust (Malta) managed to attract more than 150 volunteers who spend some of their free time guarding the nest (the NGO covers the period between 3pm and 8pm), and the rest of the hours are covered by personnel from the Malta Environment and Planning Authority and the Resources and Rural Affairs Ministry.
The vast majority of beachgoers – many of whom would normally be looking forward to their barbecues on the beach – readily understood the importance of the beach having been declared an emergency conservation area. And many, including several children, have been asking questions and having interesting discussions about marine turtles, which have existed for millions of years.
What has been so intriguing about this occurrence is that the last recorded turtle nesting event happened more than 50 years ago. People have been discussing the threats posed by light and noise pollution, coastal development, waste that isn’t disposed of properly, and fishing fleets.
The next step would be to raise awareness about the need to have quieter beaches for the benefit of wildlife at large. In fact, the Light Pollution Awareness Group (LPAG) noted in a statement issued soon after the 20 June turtle nesting, that the event brought with it justified calls for protection of the site.
The group said turtle hatchlings rely on their instinctive attraction to light from the moon or stars reflected by the sea to steer them away from darker inland areas. Lighting on or near the beach confuses them and causes them to head towards the wrong direction, where they could end up dying from exhaustion, dehydration or risk being squashed by cars in the Ġnejna parking area.
Seawater has a higher level of reflectivity than land and, for creatures that have evolved to hatch in complete darkness, the ability to head towards the light means that they automatically head towards the sea. Heading for darkness would result in death so they have adapted accordingly to head towards the light of the stars reflected by the sea.
This behaviour has been verified in real life in areas where many sea turtles nest, such as the sandy beaches of Florida (USA), where legislation has been enacted to protect turtle hatchlings from light pollution.
As a result, the LPAG recommended that all lighting which is not required for safety or security is switched off, and any remaining lights falling under this category are carefully shielded and directed such that no light falls onto the sandy beach itself.
Many would in fact argue that it would be a good thing if every beach (irrespective of events such as the turtle nesting) is free from excessive noise and excessive light, both for the sake of people who simply want to go to the beach for some peace and quiet, and more importantly for the sake of safeguarding biodiversity. But this would clearly require a gradual culture change in terms of the types of events organised on beaches by groups of people, as well as the owners of snack bars and restaurants alike.