Traveling with the Turtles!
“Behold the turtle. He makes progress only
when he sticks his neck out.”
-James Bryant Conant-
We woke-up at 3:30 a.m. to drive the dark and winding road from Sur, Oman to Ras Al Jinz, Oman to see green turtles. At 3:30 a.m. I had no idea why I was awake much less up and going to look for turtles but sometimes you just got to have faith that what you don’t want to do will lead to an experience you will never forget.
We arrived at the Ras al-Jinz Scientific & Visitor Center parked the car, paid our 3 Rial and tried to wake-up. The turtle guides quickly explained the guidelines of our turtle visit and we all headed to the beach. The stars twinkled in the sky and within minutes we were standing in the darkness beside a huge green turtle. The turtle was laying eggs and then using her arms to move almost 2 meters of sand over the eggs. We sat quietly in the darkness and watched nature un-fold.
As the sun rose the turtle felt that her eggs were safely buried underground and it was time for her to return to sea. She stuck her neck out, and used her legs and arms to pull herself back to her ocean home.
“Try to be like the turtle -at ease in your own shell.”
-Bill Copeland-
Kuwait City, KUWAIT
Christine Oastler is a freelance travel writer, teacher and artist, currently living in Mahboula, Kuwait. Born and raised in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, Christine obtained her Bachelor of Arts at Trent University and her Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University. Currently traveling around the Middle East she finds herself riding the odd camel and embracing a new culture!