Something I’d been itching to do from the moment we moved to Oman was visit the Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve. We’d already swum with turtles at the Daymaniat Islands and seen them feeding along the coastline while wild camping on beaches.
I thought seeing turtles nesting would complete the picture. And after nearly two years of living in Oman we finally got the chance to go.
But our visit the Ras Al Jinz wasn’t as magical as I’d hoped. In this post I’m sharing why I was disappointed but also why I’d still recommend it if you want to see turtles in Oman.
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Seeing turtles at Ras Al Jinz
Ras Al Jinz is one of the top places to see turtles in Oman and, just like the Daymaniat Islands Nature Reserve, there are rules in place to protect them.
Within the 120sq km nature reserve is the Ras Al Jinz Resort, which has a visitor centre and accommodation near a nesting beach.
This is the only place in Oman that you can legally see turtles nesting. Other beaches on the reserve’s 45 km stretch of coastline are closed between 5pm and 5am to protect the turtles when they emerge from the sea at night.
Even at the resort there’s a maximum number of people allowed onto the beach each morning and evening. This is managed through guided tours, which are meant to be limited to 20 people in each group.
Guided tours at Ras Al Jinz
You can take a tour at the Ras Al Jinz Resort whether you are staying there or not. There are lots of other places to stay nearby.
The tours start at 9pm and 5am. If you are not staying at the resort you must get there at least half an hour earlier to buy your tickets.
Tour tickets can be bought at the reception desk. You can find the latest prices for Omanis, residents and tourists on the reserve’s website. If you are Omani or an Oman resident don’t forget your ID card so you can get a discount.
Once you have bought your tickets you will be given a tour number and can wait in the reception area or look around the museum upstairs. There is also a shop and a cafe where you can buy drinks and snacks.
We did the evening tour and arrived just before 8pm. There were already a lot of people at the visitor centre. I can’t remember when the tours began to go out but there were at least three ahead of us. We started our tour at 9.20pm.
Our evening tour at Ras Al Jinz
When our tour was called we went out the back of the building and got on a bus which took us through the darkness to a drop off point at the back of the beach.
Once we are off the bus our guide told us that his colleagues on the beach would call us forward when it was OK to view the nesting turtles. It’s important not to disturb them before they start laying as they may head back to the sea, which could be dangerous for them and their eggs.
We walked along a firm path, through an opening in a wall and found ourselves on the beach.
It was pitch black but very noisy because of the wind and surf crashing up the sand.
As you walk onto the beach you immediately notice what look like craters wherever your eyes can strain to see. These are the turtle’s nests.
The sand that has been turned around the nests is fluffy. You can easily find yourself calf deep in it.
We saw five turtles at different stages of nesting during our hour long tour. The process of nesting, from digging to laying and covering the eggs before crawling back to the sea, takes each turtle two to three hours.
As we watched, our guide told us that the Green Turtles we saw were medium in size for this particular beach. They would be about 30 to 40-years-old and weigh 100 to 120kg.
Green Turtles can come back to the same beach and lay up to 100 eggs several times a season. They then migrate around the region for a few years but always come back to nest on the same stretch of coast.
This is what makes Ras Al Jinz so special. It is one of the most significant turtle nesting spots on the Indian Ocean.
The bad
If you are a keen environmentalist you will be disappointed by the general lack of awareness about wildlife protection.
While our guide set out the rules at the beginning of the tour, very little was done to enforce them.
Our fellow visitors were getting too close to the turtles, having loud conversations over the top of them and using white light torches.
This inconsiderate behaviour made the experience much less conformable for those of us concerned for the animals’ welfare. More importantly, it put the turtles and their eggs at risk.
There are signs in the visitor centre that say guides will ask you to leave or even call the police if you don’t follow the rules. But people weren’t even being politely asked to moderate their behaviour.
It’s also worth saying that there were about 25 people in our tour group. The maximum advertised number was 20.
So, should you go to Ras Al Jinz?
If you really want to see turtles laying eggs in Oman then Ras Al Jinz Resort is the only option. Trying to sneak onto another beach in the reserve will get you a fine or worse.
The resort provides all the right information to visitors. It also helps protect the beaches along the rest of the coastline by focusing its tours in one small area.
It is a shame that some visitors don’t understand the harm that they might be doing and, in our experience, aren’t being corrected when they ignore the rules.
Tips for visiting Ras Al Jinz
Here’s our tips for doing a tour ar Ras Al Jinz Resort:
- Arrive early and check what the order in which that day’s tours will be going out. This will help you plan how much time you have to look around the museum.
- Wear clothes comfortable for walking in and shoes that are easy to take off at the beach. It’s easier to walk bare foot in the uneven sand.
- Bring a red light torch for helping you walk to the turtle beach. You will be told when you can use it. When you are with the turtles the guide’s light is the only one that will be used.
Can you take photos of turtles at Ras Al Jinz?
Yes, but flash photography is not allowed. I used my iPhone camera during our evening tour. And would use my DSLR during a sunrise morning tour.
When can you see turtles at Ras Al Jinz?
The main turtle nesting season is from April to September but it is possible to see turtles nesting and hatching all year round.
It takes seven weeks for turtles to hatch, so eggs laid at the end of the main nesting season are due to hatch in November. However, very few eggs survive, so the further into the season the fewer baby turtles you are likely to see scuttling to the ocean in there morning.
Find out more about the best times to visit Oman for different experiences here.
Evening or morning tour?
During the evening tour you will see turtles arriving at the beach and laying their eggs. You may also see turtles going back to the sea. We saw two returning during our evening tour.
In the morning you are likely to see more turtles going back to the water was well as hatched babies. Turtles usually finish burying their eggs before the sun rises.
The nighttime tour is in pitch darkness. Unless there is a full moon you will see very little of the landscape around you. There were other guides and groups on the beach but we couldn’t see much further than a few meters in front of us.
We haven’t done the morning tour yet (we plan to return another time), but I have been told this is a completely different experience. You can see so much more of your surroundings and more turtles or evidence that they have been there overnight. Of course, there are also more babies.
Where is Ras Al Jinz
Ras Al Jinz is located on the eastern most tip of the Arabian Peninsular, 260km south east of Muscat.
You’ll need to hire a guide or rent a car to reach Ras Al Jinz. You don’t need a 4×4 as the roads are tarmac all the way from Muscat whether you arrive on the coast road or after staying in Wahiba Sands desert.
The journey from Muscat takes three hours. I’d recommend a stop off at Bimmah Sinkhole, or for a longer excursion Wadi Shab or Wadi Tiwi (4×4 recommended).
If you are coming from a desert camp in Wahiba Sands the journey is about 160km and will take at least two hours. Add some interest to your road trip and detour to Wadi Bani Khalid.
Where to stay at Ras Al Jinz
You can stay at Ras Al Jinz Turtle Resort but when we went it was the most expensive option. We took a recommendation from friends and stayed at the SAMA Ras Al Jinz eco lodges.
Read our review of SAMA Ras Al Jinz Resort.
Here some more places to stay to close to Ras Al Jinz visitor centre:
- Turtle Guest House – budget option located just outside Ras Al Jinz Resort.
- Turtle Beach Resort – sea front location with swimming pool.
- The Gate – a private four bedroom villa with pool, perfect for groups.
Final thoughts on Ras Al Jinz
Would we go back to Ras Al Jinz? Yes. We already have the dates in our diary as I want to see the sunrise over the beach and witness tiny turtles making their first splash in the the Indian Ocean. Who knows when we will have such an opportunity again?
I hope you have found my honest account of our experience useful.
Read more tips for travelling to Oman.
Have you been to Ras Al Jinz or seen turtles nesting elsewhere in the world? I’d love to hear your experiences.
Before you go, read these
- Best place to stay in Ras Al Jinz: SAMA Resort
- Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve – the good and bad
- Bimmah Sinkhole and Hawiyat Najm Park – what you need to know
- What’s the best time to visit Oman?
- Can you drink alcohol in Oman?
Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase I may earn some commission. This does not affect the price you pay.