On a protected beach in eastern Oman, green turtles come ashore at night to lay eggs — and months later, hundreds of hatchlings race for the sea. How to witness it responsibly.
Ras Al Jinz is one of the most important green turtle nesting sites in the Indian Ocean, and it happens every single night of the year. Around 20,000 turtles return to the same 13 kilometres of beach where they were born, dragging themselves above the high-tide line to dig a nest and lay around a hundred eggs.
Night and dawn — which visit?
The reserve runs guided visits at night (you watch a female nest or return to the sea) and at dawn (your best chance of seeing hatchlings emerge). Dawn is our recommendation: the light is beautiful, the beach is empty, and if you're lucky you'll watch dozens of two-centimetre turtles make their mad dash for the waves.
How to be a good guest
- Only visit with the reserve's rangers — the beach is protected for good reason.
- No torches or phone flashes; red-filtered light only, handled by the guides.
- Keep behind the turtle, stay quiet and follow your group.
- Never touch hatchlings, however tempting — they must make the journey themselves.
The visits are deliberately managed: small groups, timed entries, and rangers who know each turtle's temperament. It's one of the best-run wildlife experiences in the region, and the fee goes straight back into protecting the beach.
“Watching a turtle the size of a wheelbarrow heave herself up the beach, after swimming a thousand kilometres to get there, rearranges your idea of what a journey means.”
