This weekend we went a few hours out from Muscat to a place called Ras al-Jinz Turtle Reserve. On the way, however, we stopped at the Bimmah Sink Hole.
Literally, a giant hole in the ground that has water in it. There is a scientific reason for how they are formed but I was too anxious to get in the water to stop and really remember what that reason was.
It was nice to swim in; the water was actually cold and there were little fish who nibble on you and help to get rid of some of the dead skin on your body. They primarily just nibble at your feet and legs. My friends and I sat down and we had a swarm of little fish nibbling on our toes. It didn’t hurt but it was a very strange sensation which took a few minutes to get accustomed to. After a few minutes, it was like a free pedicure.
After the sink hole, we went to the turtle reserve. We stayed at the hotel there and at 9pm that night we headed out in groups of 20 to find and observe turtles.
It was dark, of course, so we had a flashlight and the guide explained the different stages of nesting. The turtles that we observed start laying eggs around age 40. They come in from the ocean, start digging a hole (a fairly deep hole), and once it’s deep enough, they lay their eggs (100-130 at a time), then bury them to protect them and to incubate them. They dig multiple holes to trick predators. Then, once the eggs are buried, the mama turtle heads back out to the ocean. That is the end of the maternal relationship. The babies will hatch about 2 months later and will be on their own. Mature turtles will return and lay eggs every 3 or so years. The older they are, the more eggs they will lay.
The first turtle we found was in the process of burying her eggs. Then we saw a couple of babies and we helped them get to the ocean (they follow lights). It was dark and I didn’t have my camera so I couldn’t take pictures that night. However, we also got up at 4am the next morning to observe and I got to take a few decent pictures.
The first turtle we saw in the morning was digging and buying eggs. In the second picture, the turtle is throwing dirt back with her front feet/flippers and scooping dirt and packing it with her back feet/flippers.
Then we saw another one heading out to sea after burying her eggs.
Then the sun started to come up.
We didn’t see any babies in the morning but we saw two different turtles finish digging and heading back out, as well as one actually in the process of laying her eggs.
Watching the turtle head back out to sea was actually pretty cool. It was a little slow moving, of course, but I’m sure she was exhausted: she came in from the sea, dug several holes, laid over 100 eggs, covered the hole, climbed out of the hole, and had to walk back to sea. They are heavy animals too so that doesn’t help.
It was a great experience getting to observe these turtles. I learned a lot and got some pretty neat pictures. If you ever get the opportunity to observe animals in their natural habitat, take it and enjoy it.
Source: The Other Rocky Mountains
Full Article: Sink Hole Swimming and Turtle Watching