OMAN


Oman’s popularity is on the up. And with epic scenery, countless high-end hotels and kind-hearted locals it’s not hard to see why


Hollie-Rae Brader


I


’m lucky enough to have a job I adore. Travelling the world, seeing new luxury hotels, meeting locals and embracing new cultures is part and parcel of being a travel journalist. I’ve never really been jealous of someone else’s profession; that was until I arrived in Oman and met turtle ranger Mohammad Al Hassani. Mohammad’s job is to protect the turtles that hatch on the shores of Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, located just outside Muscat. The property is hoe to one of five nesting sites for turtles in Oman, and Mohammad and his team keep an eye on the endangered creatures day and night. “I’ve seen more than 70,000 baby turtles on the beaches here,” he says with a beaming smile, the kind you’d expect from a proud father. “We usually have about 100 nests every year and we’d expect more than 4,000 babies to hatch.” In 2018, the property saw 3,126 turtles hatch from 51 hawksbill turtle nests and 44 green turtle nests. The year prior, 110 nests were laid, and the number of hatchlings exceeded 4,700.


But protecting them is a stressful and at times heart-


breaking task, with Mohammad explaining that the survival rate for the newborns is between 1% and 5%. I’d arrived in Oman too early in the year to witness any hatchlings braving it as they race into the sea the first is usually epected in id-pril, but  was determined to see a turtle during my stay. So with our mission set, Mohammad and I popped on our snorkelling gear and headed into the lukewarm and slightly urky waters of the ulf of an. ohaad points out lots of pretty fish as we head further out from the shoreline, but he knows I’m only interested in one thing. Running out of time, we decide to do one more loop of the bay before heading back to the beach, and within seconds, a huge turtle swims in our direction. I freeze, mid swim, mesmerised by its elegance in the water. The turtle stays with us for a few minutes before disappearing out of sight. Mohammad and I bob our heads out of the water and I squeak with excitement. Mission complete.➛


70 ASPIRE FEBRUARY 2019


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