Oman is home to four different types of turtles; green, olive ridley, hawksbill and loggerhead. If you wish to see the journey of turtles nestling June to September is the best time to visit the country.
If you think it is too hot to travel in the summer, then head to Ras Al Jinz in Sur which is a short three hour drive from Muscat city. The temperature is cooler by 15 to 20 degrees and makes the perfect setting for spotting these marvelous reptiles.
The Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve in South Ash-Sharqiyah Governorate is popular for its green turtle habitat is significantly located within the region surrounded by the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. Oman is the only place where visitors can closely witness the process of nesting sea turtles without disturbing their natural surroundings.
The best time to witness this natural phenomenon is either late at night or early morning with guided tours of up to 25 people in a group by the seashore. To preserve conservation efforts, Oman’s policy restricts the use of artificial light like mobile phones or torch that could disturb the turtles’ natural environment.
There are turtle rangers at the beach and only once the turtles have begun laying their eggs- 200-300 or more at a time, tourists are allowed to walk towards them. It is an out of the ordinary activity to witness the mother turtle creating a pit, laying eggs as well as baby turtles running around at the seashore.
Oman is home to four different types of turtles; green, olive ridley, hawksbill and loggerhead. One must also visit the Museum of the Scientific Centre in Ras Al Jinz that is equipped with the latest technology for information about various types of turtles and their life cycle.
According to official statistics, 41,244 tourists visited the turtle nesting site at the Ras Al Jinz turtle reserve in Ras Al Hadd state in Wilayat of Sur in 2017, where the percentage of foreign tourists was 76 per cent, equivalent to 31,412 tourists.
The rate of growth in the number of visitors to Ras Al Jinz turtles reserve was 37 per cent in the past seven years, with the total number increasing from 30,002 visitors in 2010 to 41,244 visitors in 2017.
Reaching Muscat
By Air: The Muscat International Airport is the only international airport. Air India Express offers flights to Muscat from Amritsar, Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, and Thiruvananthapuram. For travelling from outside of India, one can choose from operators like Oman Air, British Airways, Gulf Air, Lufthansa, and Emirates, depending upon where they are travelling from.
By Bus: One can hop on any of the buses by the Omar National Transport Company to travel to Muscat from Dubai or Abu Dhabi. There are a few other bus services that run to and from Muscat on a daily basis.
By Car: One can drive to Muscat from the United Arab Emirates, which takes about 6 hours. There is another route from Al Ghaydah, Yemen, which takes about 6 hours via the border-crossing at Sarfeit to Saraha, and another 10 hours to reach Muscat. There are many car rental services available in the city. One can use the driving license from their home country to drive around Muscat for up to 90 days.
