Oman Through A Lens

Little baby turtles in Oman

Iain Fenton, Sales and Marketing director

Little baby turtles in Oman

The already hushed voices, in the group of about 30 participants, dropped even more as the guide indicated that we could move forward onto the beach at Ras al-Hadd. At about 10.15pm, under the most beautiful clear and star filled sky imaginable, we approached the giant Green Turtle currently laying its eggs into the sand pit that it created just a few minutes earlier. The perfectly formed round eggs are slightly bigger than a tennis ball and gleam white in the torch light from the guide. Once a turtle has started to lay its eggs, it is okay to approach and watch as they will continue to a natural conclusion unmoved by the silent audience. The trick is for the guide to ascertain the exact time to approach – too early, and they won’t start the laying and will go back to the sea.

The guide is also able to stroke the turtle’s head and this large gentle creature continues about its creational activity as if nothing was happening. It is both moving and comforting to view this activity and the group are awe struck by the sight. We then watch a number of ‘little baby turtles’ running around the beach and are shown how, at that age, they follow light and will change direction completely just to follow the torch that is captivating them. The odds of surviving and coming back to lay its own eggs in the future are greatly stacked against them and a fox has already been spotted nearby waiting to feast on some eggs if possible.

The turtle finishes laying and covers up the eggs (now approx 1 metre below the sands surface) and slowly makes its way back to the sea having completed its biological task and passes on the mantle to the next generation as it will not return to lay for a further 3-4 years.