Day 6 - Some surprising gems

The nature of Oman is worth singing about. Where little brother the United Arab Emirates is a huge sandbox, that is much less true for Oman. Of course there is the beautiful and sandy Wahiba Sands in the Great Arabian desert, but the tall and ubiquitous Hajar Mountains provide relief in the landscape. In addition, there are the various wadis (river valley or dried-out river beds) that ensure enjoyable and sometimes green hiking pleasure and refreshing streams and water pools.
Our first encounter with a wadi is the Wadi Bani Khaled, located in ... Wahiba Sands, a nice change between all that red sand. A path between the mountains leads us to a large lake with emerald green water that is ogling at us.

 

It is Friday and therefore the traditional day of rest in Oman. Soon families will take over the banks and children will spend their afternoons in the refreshing water. The die hards among us go one step further or say hundreds more steps further on a slightly more challenging course. The guide calls it ‘slippery stones’ and that is not too much said. The path to the ultimate goal is paved with large boulders that we have to climb over or step on to but that have worn down over the years. A slippery affair is the result and even a challenge for walking shoes with good profiles. But after climbing and descending, heart palpitations, a helping hand, stopping occasionally to enjoy the surroundings, we suddenly hear the rustling of the water. The many mountain rivers flow down the same boulders and form a wonderful swimming pond in a small valley.

 

 

One last slippery descent and the goal is reached. I bathe my feet in the fresh water and enjoy the tranquility before this wonderful paradise is flooded with even more tourists. The attraction of Wadi Bani Khaled is very clear to me. A pearl that is well hidden between those beautiful, though treacherous rocks, here and there embellished by lush greenery. In the meantime, the sun has set itself high in the sky. She is burning on my skin. I just gain some strength and then start the way back. It is not easy, but the reward is oh so beautiful and intense.

 

Oman has a strong bond with the water. This is most evident in the important port  of Sur. The city has a good reputation for training sailors and seafarers. It is also here that the dhows are manufactured, the traditional wooden boats that mainly sail the Indian Ocean.
Making a dhow is a real art. It takes months before a boat is ready that is traditionally made from teak or acacia wood. Many sites have already  closed down due to the cost price, but some of them are still standing.

The sea turtle remains one of the most graceful aquatic animals. I will never forget the first time I saw a specimen elegantly cleaving through the water. That happened during a boat trip between different islands of the Galapagos archipelago. He/she swam first meters next to our boat just below the water surface to suddenly come up and breathe for air. As quickly as it came up, it disappeared to the deeper waters again, in a very stylish way. Like a water ballerina. The life of the turtle starts on one of the many white sandy beaches where mother turtle lays her eggs. The beaches of Oman are one of the most important breeding grounds for the green sea turtle. Every year thousands of turtles bury their eggs on land. One of those most important places is Raz Al Jinz, where the turtles come to nest in protected areas. A lot of scientific work is also done here.
What is special about this whole story is that our females come ashore where they were born themselves at the time. Even if they have to travel thousands of miles for it. The turtles only come out of the water when it is dark. They do not like too strong light. With full moon tonight , we estimate our chances of seeing a turtle low. It is neither the high season that theoretically runs from June to September. Nevertheless, we take the risk by taking the opportunity to go on a beach expedition during the evening hours. With a guide we are sent out onto the beach with strict rules: always follow the guide and do not use flash light. For the first time this trip our chances seem to be turning. In the moonlight we immediately see a little one that has just crawled out of the shell and is almost helplessly looking for the surf. The sense of direction still needs to be sharpened. But what do you want? These turtles grow up without a mother and just have to manage. From the moment of birth, danger lurks everywhere. Crabs, seagulls, birds of prey and predatory fish find these baby turtles a tasty bite to eat. Only a few little ones survive the journey from the egg to the sea. Only one in 1,000 grows up.

A female stays on the beach for about two hours to lay her eggs. In total, she digs three holes. Two remain empty and serve as a diversion. The quality of the loose sand here in Raz Al Jinz ensures that the turtles can dig easily. A deep hole is dug for the real nest, in which  approximately 100 eggs are laid and covered again afterwards. Here the task of mother sea turtle ends. A sea turtle has absolutely no maternal feelings or any educational finesse. After laying the eggs, she turns her back on her brood to never come back. We are extremely lucky tonight. Because in addition to our frisky newborn, we also see three future mothers at work. One is diligently digging out the hole. You have to bear in mind that  a sea turtle is about 1 m long and weighs around 150 kg. With her legs she is working hard to dig out the hole where she will leave her nest. The sand almost literally flies around my ears. Apparently it doesn't bother her that I get buried halfway under all that sand. A little further another turtle is already nesting. The soft white eggs fall into the newly dug hole. She lets us watch quietly.

 

Within two months these babies will come out of the egg and find their way in life. Although that will mainly be surviving in the first instance. And who knows, about 30 years from now, the females will return here to nest themselves.  Consider the next time you see an adult sea turtle, how unique that is. A true survivor against all odds.