Muscat – As many as 65,880 people visited nature reserves in Oman this year till September, according to the Environment Authority (EA).

Nature reserves in Oman are a major tourist attraction, offering scenic nature, camping and diving facilities to enjoy coral reefs and other underwater treasures.

The EA ‘seeks to conduct scientific studies and provide tourism and entertainment facilities for guests inside nature reserves’, a statement said.
‘Oman has 21 nature reserves through which we aim to preserve biological diversity and promote the sultanate in the world of ecotourism.’

Speaking to Muscat Daily, an EA official informed that it issued 12,543 special permits and environmental licences in 2022 till September and environmental specialists conducted 29,725 field visits to nature reserves in order to protect wildlife.

“The authority is exerting great efforts to protect endangered animals. There are 239 wild animals and birds in the Wildlife Rehabilitation and Reproduction Centre in Barka. The authority also saved and provided veterinary care for 16 animals and birds this year and documented the return of two green turtles.”
He informed that recently a green turtle returned to Ras al Jinz after 20 years. “EA specialists were able to monitor the turtle that was first tagged – No 45470 – in November 2001.”

Earlier in January, a turtle returned to its nesting site after 31 years. It was tagged by Omani turtle expert Rashid al Ameri on March 30, 1991.

According to the EA official, “The authority tagged 116 new turtles and recorded the death of 28 this year till the third quarter.”

Additionally, EA launched the second phase of a project to track turtles via satellites recently. The project aims to gather information to study the nesting behaviour and natural habitat of sea turtles.

Five tracking devices were installed in the Ras al Jinz area to achieve the project’s objective by monitoring threats during turtle migration and the environmental risks to the creatures and their natural habitat.

The sultanate has several natural reserves that support domestic tourism. A Royal Decree issued earlier this year established the National Natural Park Reserve in Musandam. The reserve will nurture diverse fauna and flora, characterised by distinct nutritional, medicinal and cosmetic properties.