An image has gone viral on social media this week, showing more than 97 adorable baby turtles hatched on a deserted beach during the coronavirus quarantine.

According to a recent report by British newspaper The Guardian, the image in question was taken by a photographer on March 22, on the coast of Paulista, a town in the north-eastern state of Pernambuco, Brazil. It shows a number of the tiny reptiles crawling on the sand towards the sea, with the beach complex surrounding them devoid of any humans.

The site is typically jam-packed with beachgoers and sunbathers, making it impossible for the endangered species to hatch there. But now that the coronavirus has forced people indoors, were left undisturbed.

According to an official statement from the City Hall of Paulista technicians of the Urban Sustainability Center were able to assist in the hatching of the baby hawksbills, which are considered a critically endangered species by the WWF.

Commenting on the incredible sighting, Herbert Andrade, an Environmental Manager based in Paulista, stated: "In all, 291 sea turtles were born on the coast of Paulista in 2020, with 87 green turtles and 204 hawksbill turtles. This time, due to preventive measures against the new coronavirus, the population was unable to closely monitor the birth."

Meanwhile, Paulista’s environmental secretary, Roberto Couto stated: "It’s really beautiful because you can see the exact instant they come out of the eggs and… watch their little march across the beach. It’s marvelous. It’s a wonderful, extraordinary feeling. This time, because of coronavirus, we couldn’t even tell people it was happening."

Brazil's Tamar conservation project has been established to safeguard the hawksbill, as well as other species, such as the ridley sea turtle, the loggerhead sea turtle, and the leatherback sea turtle, all of which are also under threat.

An image has gone viral on social media this week, showing more than 97 adorable baby turtles hatched on a deserted beach during the coronavirus quarantine.

According to a recent report by British newspaper The Guardian, the image in question was taken by a photographer on March 22, on the coast of Paulista, a town in the north-eastern state of Pernambuco, Brazil. It shows a number of the tiny reptiles crawling on the sand towards the sea, with the beach complex surrounding them devoid of any humans.

The site is typically jam-packed with beachgoers and sunbathers, making it impossible for the endangered species to hatch there. But now that the coronavirus has forced people indoors, were left undisturbed.

According to an official statement from the City Hall of Paulista technicians of the Urban Sustainability Center were able to assist in the hatching of the baby hawksbills, which are considered a critically endangered species by the WWF.

Commenting on the incredible sighting, Herbert Andrade, an Environmental Manager based in Paulista, stated: "In all, 291 sea turtles were born on the coast of Paulista in 2020, with 87 green turtles and 204 hawksbill turtles. This time, due to preventive measures against the new coronavirus, the population was unable to closely monitor the birth."

Meanwhile, Paulista’s environmental secretary, Roberto Couto stated: "It’s really beautiful because you can see the exact instant they come out of the eggs and… watch their little march across the beach. It’s marvelous. It’s a wonderful, extraordinary feeling. This time, because of coronavirus, we couldn’t even tell people it was happening."

Brazil's Tamar conservation project has been established to safeguard the hawksbill, as well as other species, such as the ridley sea turtle, the loggerhead sea turtle, and the leatherback sea turtle, all of which are also under threat.