Abu Dhabi. Coral reef and seagrass beds. Site contains one of the few natural forest in United Arab Emirates – a natural mangrove. Waters of this reef are very rich with sea life, including world’s second largest population of dugongs (dugong is strictly a marine mammal) – some 600 animals.
Bu Tinah is actually a cluster of islands and shoals, joined or almost so at low water, with nowhere greater than two or three metres above sea level. The main island has a sheltered lagoon opening to the south with the low energy environment permitting stands of mature mangrove to flourish.
The island is located in the Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve, the region’s largest and first UNESCO-designated marine biosphere reserve. The area is prime real estate for some of the earth’s most amazing creatures.
“Bu Tinah as an island is one of the less-recognized wonders of the world — and part of the reason is because it is protected”.
“The thing that makes it special is (the) diversity of the wildlife that exists on this island and the ability of these different organisms to survive under extreme temperature and salinity, which they wouldn’t be expected to survive”.
Scientists say its coral reefs survive in temperatures ranging from 15 C to 37 C, extremes that would normally destroy them.
The entire area is also a natural laboratory for the scientists to study climate change. It is host to one of the world’s endangered species — the Hawksbill turtle, which comes to nest on the island.