Fireworks being let off during events at the Golden Sands hotel could endanger the eggs laid by a loggerhead turtle at Golden Bay and which could hatch soon, according to Nature Trust president Vincent Attard.
The eggs were laid some five metres up the beach last month, with the NGO cordoning off the area and setting up a roster for volunteers to man the site and ensure the eggs were safe.
Now, the NGO is calling on those organising events at the hotel to try and avoid letting off fireworks as the noise could be harmful to the eggs. The practice of letting off fireworks from the hotel is very common in summer, especially during weddings and other big events.
Signs erected on the barriers cordoning the area request beachgoers not to play loud music or shine bright lights on the eggs, yet it seems as though no effort is being made to stop fireworks. On Saturday evening, one such display went on for several minutes.
Anything that may cause some form of vibration is of big concern to us
“Anything that may cause some form of vibration is of big concern to us. We were not aware that this was happening and we will be going to the authorities to make sure that all is in place,” Mr Attard told this newspaper yesterday.
He said everything was in place in preparation for the hatching period expected to start next week, and the NGO sent daily reports to the authorities with any concerns.
The organisation is working with the Malta Tourism Authority and gearing up for the hatching, making sure there is enough shade and planning the removal of the sandbags around the cordoned off area.
Loggerhead turtles tend to lay between three and six nests a season, with anything up to 130 eggs in each nest. Their eggs incubate for around 60 days before hatching.
Turtles nest at night, finding a dark and quiet spot on the beach to nest in and then using all four of their flippers to dig a body pit. Once that is done, they use their rear flippers to dig an egg chamber, scooping out sand as they go along.
Eggs are quickly laid, and once her clutch is complete, the mother closes the nest using her rear flippers and covers the eggs in sand. She then returns to the sea, never to return to the nest.
According to Mr Attard, there was a 15 per cent chance that the eggs would not hatch, either because they would not have been fertilised or simply because they did not develop as they should have.