A night at Turtle Beach in Oman is a thoroughly enjoyable experience
It is that time of the year when green sea turtles swim thousands of miles to the beach of their birth and lay their eggs. To capture this incredible spectacle of nature, we visited one such nesting site located on the eastern-most tip of the Arabian Peninsula, called the Ras Al Hadd Turtle Reserve. We drove 850km from Dubai to the sandy coast of Oman.
The journey was exciting and memorable, but one that requires certain preparations. The green marine turtle is now an endangered species, hence the nesting areas along the 260 beaches of Oman are safeguarded by the country's Ministry of Environment and Nature Conservation.
With the formalities taken care of, we packed our 4WD with sleeping bags, refreshments, camera and other basic necessities. Departing from the Dubai World Trade Centre at 8.50am on a pleasant Thursday morning, our hearts were filled with anticipation for the adventure ahead.
There are two basic routes to reach our destination. One is through Hatta, Muscat and Sur, but the one we took was through Buraimi-Ibra-Nizwa and Sur.
Entering Omani territory, we followed Route 21 to Salalah and bypassed the cities of Ibri, Nizwa, and Izki. From there we drove in the direction of Sanaw on Route 27 and at Ibra changed to Route 23 towards Sur. Reaching Al Kamil at 710 kms and eight hours later, our travel guide Fazal was waiting to escort us on the last leg of the journey. Driving on a graded track to Ras Al Hadd, we arrived at the Turtle Reserve at sunset around 6.30pm.
Getting into the retreat, we were asked to keep the noise level down and lighting to a minimum. Nesting turtles are often frightened by people and return to the sea without laying their eggs. Enveloped in darkness by nightfall, we found about a dozen illuminated wooden sheds scattered around the campsite on the beach.
One was allocated as the washroom, while others were used as resthouses. We parked our cars around one shed, and Fazal efficiently set up our tents and prepared the barbeque. After a scrumptious meal, it was time for the highlight of our trip turtle watching.
Sitting around one of the pits dug out by the egg-laying turtles, we listened attentively to the guide as he unveiled a world unknown to us. "A female green turtle weighs about 150kgs and measures about a meter long. She lays about a 100 eggs at a time in a hole about 16cms deep, and here's one nesting turtle right now!"
We all rushed to catch a glimpse of the extraordinary sight. A large female turtle was sweeping away sand with her foreflippers, creating a hollow to lie in. With her hind flippers beneath the tail she slowly dug a hole, deposited shiny white eggs and covered the area with sand. Heaving herself slowly out of the cavity, she sauntered back to the shore and swam into the sea.
Marvelling at nature's wondrous ways, we were again motioned to follow the guide and see young turtle hatchlings. Turning up the hem of his khandoura to create a kangaroo-like pouch, the guide was holding about 120 squirming hatchlings!
In the instant he released the clutch, we saw a scattering of disoriented tiny turtles dashing to safety.
Inspired by the whole experience, we returned to camp exhausted, a little after midnight. Entering the shelter of our tent, we curled up in our sleeping bags and rested. As the sun rose, a few of us went to the beach and caught sight of the last nesting turtle disappear into the waves.
After breakfast, we packed up our things and left the reserve by 8.00am. Aided by daylight, we had a clearer picture of the surrounding area. We drove past settlements of Ras Al Jinz and Ras Al Hadd, and enjoyed the scenic view of Oman.
Instead of driving directly back to Dubai, we made a stop at a friend's farmhouse in Barka near Muscat where we were showered with hospitality and a home-cooked meal. After a couple of hours of relaxing, we returned home to Dubai.
Turtle beach at Ras Al Hadd is a wonderful wildlife attraction in this region, a must-see for nature lovers. Although we covered the destination over a weekend, it is highly recommended to make it a longer stay and enjoy other historical and natural sites of Oman.