Omanis, tourists visit turtle sanctuary

The number of people who visited Ras Al Janz Reserve of Ras Al Hadd in the Wilayat of Sur between January and November this year reached 56,957. They included 38,744 foreigners and 18,213 Omanis.

Saud bin Hamad Al Alawi, Director of Tourism in the Governorate of South A'Sharqiya, said that the turtle reserve was one of the main tourist destinations in the Sultanate. People like to visit it throughout the year, Oman News Agency (ONA) reported.

He said that the reserve was one of the eco-tourism destinations which Oman is trying to preserve as a national treasure as it promotes sustainable tourism.

Foreign tourists including Arabs who visit the Sultanate as well as citizens like visiting turtle sanctuary. They enjoy turtle watching, relaxation and tranquility of the area.

The objective of establishing Ras Al Jinz Reserve, by a Royal Decree in 1996, was to preserve one of the rarest natural elements of the country. This is the place where one can watch nesting of turtles.

Vijay Handa, Regional Director, said that Ras Al Jinz was one of the famous reserves of the world. For everyone who is visiting the Sultanate, it has become main destination. The one who visits it always advises others to have an experience of going there.

"There is a continuous growth in the number of visitors. Similarly, the number of turtles is also increasing annually. In the reserve, we are well prepared for the tourist season," said Vijay Handa.

“We are seeing an increase in the number of visitors since last week of September and October. We expect an increase of 8 to 9% in the number of visitors this season, compared with the same period last year,” he said.

Watching turtles is one of the most important eco-tourism activities in the Sultanate as this is most important place of nesting of various species of turtle including endangered green turtle and olive Ridley turtle.