My Hood
the reserve was established by Royal Decree in 1996 and is world renowned as a major nesting site for the endangered green sea turtle. Its aim is simple – to conserve the natural habitat of the turtles and hatchlings from dangers such as poachers and litter. Strictly speaking, the time to see turtles nesting is between June and September, however, more than 20,000 female turtles return to the beach throughout the year to lay their eggs, so there is always a chance you will be lucky enough to catch a glimpse out of season. My husband and I had opted to reserve tickets for a night-time turtle viewing, which was due to start at 8:30pm (early morning guided tours are also available on a daily basis). We decided to make a road trip of it, and left Muscat early morning so we could fit in some sightseeing on the route down, arriving at the reserve around 7pm. This gave us enough time to look around the turtle museum. The museum is not solely dedicated to the sea giants but also features lots of interesting information on archaeological findings in the local area. One word of warning here though – entrance costs differed in price from those advertised on the reserve’s website (RO1 for adults, free for room guests). We also experienced this in the reserve shop, with the assistant charging us more than the advertised cost of some items, stating that the prices had since changed. My advice is to check prices before you buy. The reserve operates a policy that payment for tour tickets are not taken until the guides are certain there are actually turtles on the beach. This is good as it means no turtles, no payment, but should also act as a reminder to manage your expectations if going to the reserve out of season -there is always a chance the tour won’t go ahead if there is a no show from the green stars of the tour. Around 45 minutes later and we were finally given the green light – turtles had been spotted on the beach. A mad rush to buy tickets ensued and then we were split into groups and allocated guides. Our guide, Kamis, was friendly and informative, while also making it firmly clear that there was to be absolutely no photography, as the flashes would disturb the turtles. After a 15-minute walk to the beach, we stumbled upon the big mother. As if that wasn’t enough, Kamis then signalled that some baby turtles were nearby. We quietly headed to where they were. At first, I thought it had been a false alarm, all I could see was a dip in the sand, and I was scared they had already scarpered. But then, a baby turtle freshly hatched and probably still warm from incubation suddenly poked its head out of the sand, quickly followed by a dozen more. It was better than any David Attenborough documentary I had ever watched. Nothing can beat the feeling of seeing new life come into the world before your very eyes. Our guide Kamis gently gathered them up and took them into the sea, before any nasty predators could swoop. It was at this point I realised just how important the reserve is in helping preserve these beautiful creatures. Thanks to their invaluable work, the chance to see turtles in their natural habitat under a canopy of beautiful stars was something I will never forget.
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Fact Box Green sea turtles are named after the green colour of the fat under its shell Adults grow three to four feet long Adults weigh between 110kg and 190kg The largest green turtle ever found was five feet and 395kg Diet consists mostly of sea grass and algae Nests between three to five times per season, with an average of 115 eggs in each nest Found in all temperate and tropical waters around the world Around 88,520 nesting female global population
Info Box For full details of the reserve go to www.rasaljinz-turtlereserve.com Call 968 96550606/96550707 for booking information Advance ticket reservation for the guided tours is essential Night tours commence at 8:30pm and dawn tour 4.00am (timings subject to change) Turtle tour ticket price RO3 per person or RO5 for family (2 adults and 2 children) High season is June to September so do keep in mind there is no guarantee you will see turtles outside of these months. Rooms and luxury eco tents are available to stay in – breakfast, turtle viewing and entry to the museum included in the price. Rooms from RO65 and tents from RO85. Children under four years free of charge. Rates may vary depending upon season and day of week.
APR 03 - APR 09 / ISSUE 264
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