Nesting season for turtles begins in Oman

Muscat: Much to the delight of the turtle lovers, turtles have started arriving at the sandy beaches of Oman.
Oman is home to five species of turtles: Green Turtle, Loggerhead Turtle, Olive Ridley Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle and Leatherback Turtle, of which four lay their nest on its soft white sand beaches.
Of these, the Green Turtle has one of the biggest nesting sites in the Ras Al Hadd sanctuary—one of the largest nesting sites in the Indian Ocean.
“The nesting season begins in April and continues until August. Sometimes, we see 50 to 60 turtles laying their eggs in one day at Ras Al Hadd, which is an internationally renowned nesting site and sanctuary for the turtles,” said Vijay Handa, cluster general manager, Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve Centre, which is part of the Ras Al Hadd Sanctuary.
There are currently 52 nests (Hawksbill and Green turtles) at the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa’s main beach and turtle beach. “Our dedicated turtle ranger, Mohammed, is busy keeping the nests protected. He grew up in Qantab, a small fishing village just along the coast from our resort where he developed a passion for turtles. Mohammed also helps manage our Eco Centre located on the first floor of the Al Bandar Hotel, where you can meet him and join in on his daily ‘Turtle Talk’ session at 5 pm,” a resort official said.
Fisherman and tourists hitting the beach have been urged to take extreme care not to disturb the turtle nests, and also report to authorities if they spot any.