A flare fired from a yacht at Ramla Bay narrowly missed volunteers keeping watch over a turtle nest on Friday night, prompting Nature Trust Malta to turn to the police for help.

The flare landed in sand dunes at the Gozitan bay, sparking a fire there, Nature Trust Malta said.

Nature Trust volunteers are guarding the bay around the clock to ensure turtle nests are left undisturbed. Eggs in one of those nests have been hatching in the past nights.

That hatching was however disturbed on Friday night, when the flare was fired illegally and dangerously.

Flares can only be fired in case of emergencies and should be fired upwards, to help guide rescuers to the scene.

Apart from Ramla Bay being a protected Natura 2000 site, the area is currently also subject to an Environmental Conservation Order, due to the loggerhead turtle nests.

While the flare missed volunteers and Gozo Ministry security staff keeping watch at the site, vegetation on Ramla’s dunes bore the brunt of the damage.

The incident was reported to both the police and Environment and Resources Authority, who immediately came to the site, Nature Trust said.  

“We hope those responsible are identified,” the NGO said in a statement decrying the incident.