Travelling Around Britain and the World

Thursday 15 November 2018

Oman (2): Sur and Turtles

A City that Built Dhows and Traded Slaves and a Beach where Turtles were Laying their Eggs

Muscat to the Bimmah Sinkhole

Oman

After leaving the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque (previous post) we set off towards Sur. The road climbed into the barren hills bounding Muscat’s landward side opening up views across the unusual city; discrete blocks separated by roads, undeveloped areas and low ridges of bare rock.

Looking over Muscat

Sur is 200km southeast of Muscat.

Today's journey, Muscate to Sur and then to the turtle beaches of Ras Al Hadd;

After a short detour to stock up on water we joined Highway 17 which first ventures a little inland before returning to the coast for the second half of the journey. The light traffic moved freely on a well-made dual carriageway, speeding us through through an uncompromisingly arid landscape.

Highway 17 southeast from Muscat

Bimmah Sinkhole

The highway re-joins the coast at the small town of Dibab. Between Dibab and Bimmah is the Hawaiyat Najm (lit: Falling Star) Park, its centrepiece a huge water filled depression once believed by local people to be a meteorite crater. Its alternative name, ‘Bimmah Sinkhole’, is geologically accurate, if geographically odd as it is much nearer Dibab.

Bimmah Sinkhole - the sea is visible at the top of the photograph

A sign by the steps announces that the Muscat Governorate takes no responsibility for whatever befalls anyone swimming in the sinkhole. Perhaps that means the water is polluted or currents might suck you into inescapable underground streams, maybe dangerous creatures lurk in the depths – or is it just that the water is 20m deep and there are no lifeguards or lifebelts? Who knows, but there were plenty of swimmers, mostly from an Italian coach party, so why not me? I picked my way gingerly through the stony shallows…

Sharp stoney shallows

…and then struck out through the warm, salty water towards the other side. I did not get there; I have a (probably irrational) fear of rock faces that plunge beneath the water where I can no longer see them, so I floated about in the middle where I felt safe. ‘The Sinkhole is linked to the sea,’ Y said, explaining the saltiness, but that would also result from evaporation being the only outlet. Unconvinced the water circulated enough to be healthy, I did not stay long (though I came to no harm).

I am going to stop well before I reach that rock face, Bimmah Sinkhole

Wadi Shab

Further south we again left the dual carriageway to visit Wadi Shab. An hour’s walk upstream leads to a good swimming area (I have read), but visiting the Grand Mosque first left us time only for a look at the Wadi and the boats for hire and listen to the grumbles of the boatman about how bad business was.

Wadi Shab

Sur

Lunch in Sur

Sur is a city of 120,000 but like Muscat - though not quite as extreme - it straggles thinly along the coast and it is difficult to see where all the people are.

Sur

Y took us to a restaurant by the beach – not that Omanis are remotely interested in beaches except as places to park fishing boats. A table was available, but everyone else sat on the floor, so we did too, though I do not fold up well.

Remembering the size of last night’s biryani we quickly agreed when Y suggested ordering two meals between three. It was more than enough; the tuna was excellent, the biryani rice – which appears in many Omani meals – was mountainous and replete with flaked almonds and tiny sultanas, and the lightly spiced sauce was delicious. Omanis traditionally eat with their fingers and although that is still the way for many older people, spoon and fork is gaining popularity.

Lunch in Sur, Tuna, rice, Omani curry sauce, salad

We were not the only westerners there, but when I popped in to wash my hands I, discovered that all the inside diners, sitting on the floor and leaning on cushions, were locals. ‘Of course,’ Y said, ‘only Europeans would sit out in the heat. Omanis prefer the air conditioning.’ There were exceptions to this rule (two sat behind us) but the validity of Y’s observation would be demonstrated time and again over the coming days.

Lunch for three cost 3 Rials (£6), less than the cost of one Biryani in last night’s hotel. Small local restaurants offer cheap, wholesome and tasty food throughout Oman. Water is the usual drink – excellent fresh fruit juice is available but more pricey. Alcohol can be found (at a hefty price) only in foreigner orientated hotels – and not all of them.

Sur, Slavery and Dhows

Sur became rich from slavery. From the start of the 18th to the late 19th century Oman either ruled over or had great influence in Zanzibar (in the 1840s and 50s the Sultan even moved his capital from Muscat to Zanzibar). Slaves acquired on the African mainland were shipped through Zanzibar to Sur and from there to the rest of Arabia, the wider middle east and beyond. The British pressured Oman to put an end to the slave trade, but it did not stop until Zanzibar became a British Protectorate in 1890. This was bad for Sur, but good for the human race. Slavery was not abolished within Oman until the present Sultan took the throne in 1970.

Sur’s less reprehensible way of making a living was shipbuilding but only one yard still produces wooden dhows.

Dhow under construction in Sur

They currently have two on the stocks. By modern standards, wooden dhows are too slow and too heavy for transporting cargo but this pair will become floating restaurants in Qatar, where their weight and speed will not matter.

Dhow under construction in Sur

The basic dhow design remains functional, but most working dhows today are fibre glass like the boat anchored off-shore in the Sur lagoon.

Fibre glass dhow in Sur Lagoon

The boatyard has diversified into making models – this one is for the reception area of a new hotel – but the boatyard's days are probably numbered.

Model Dhow, Sur

To Ras al Hadd

Crossing the bridge over the mouth of Sur’s lagoon took us into the barren stony desert that is Oman’s western extremity.

The road to Ras Al Hadd

Ras Al Hadd is a small, hook shaped peninsula 40km from Sur, and our hotel was on its tip. The designer may have envisaged a comfortable beach resort, but despite efforts to create a garden and put out sunbeds, it looked like a building site – and so did the rest of the vast plain stretching 40km or more to our south and west. Some deserts are sandy, some even have waves of majestic dunes - and Oman has its share of sandy deserts - but this was a stony desert and it looked like a neglected building site, as all stony deserts do.

On the plus side, we had a comfortable wooden cabin…

Our Cabin at Ras Al Hadd

…with a veranda that looked perfect for drinking a sundowner, so we broke out the duty free and did exactly that. No doubt an Omani would have stayed in the air-conditioned interior.

Sundowner at Ras Al Hadd

While we sipped, the sun set and, as the whole country was now west of us, it set over the Omani desert.

Sunset as Ras Al Hadd

Our two-portions-between-three lunch had been substantial and as we had to go out early we made our way to the bar, acquired a couple of cans of beer (at £4 each!) and perused the snack menu. Our order was met by bafflement – bar snacks were off, we could have the buffet dinner or nothing. We chose nothing.

Ras Al Jinz Turtle Sanctuary

The Ras Al Jinz Hotel, gateway to the turtle sanctuary, was 15 minutes’ drive away. After their own guests, the 'turtle safari' was first come first served, but arriving before 8 for the scheduled 8.30 start we found the lobby crowded and were disappointed to be placed in group seven.

It was well after 9 before our group was called. We had a brief talk about not using flash or standing in front of turtles before setting off along the rough path to the beach by the light of a pocket torch. One adult fell over on the 20 minute walk and several small children started whingeing.

Reaching the edge of the sand we could see the shadowy figures of the earlier groups but could not make out what they were doing. Our guide went to consult with his colleagues.

He returned and told us that in the summer dozens of turtles came every night, but in winter (at 10pm the temperature was hovering in the mid 20s so ‘winter’ has a different meaning here) nothing was guaranteed. I was beginning to think we had been wasting our time, until he said ‘there is a turtle over there; follow me and keep together.’

Walking through the deep, steeply sloping, soft sand was difficult. but we followed diligently until coming to a halt 5m behind another group who were apparently staring at the sand. We waited with as much patience as we could muster.

Eventually it was our turn and we moved forward to form a semi-circle behind the turtle. She was lying in the hole she had scraped out and we watched as she laid the last of her eggs. I felt we were intruding on a deeply personal experience, but I doubt the turtle saw it that way. She was bigger than I had expected; green turtles are typically 1.5m long and weigh around 100Kg, though the biggest recorded was a massive 395Kg.

We moved on to let another group look and watched a different turtle returning to the sea after laying. Their bulky bodies are poorly adapted for moving on land and it was a slow, difficult process requiring frequent rests.

Turtle track on Ras Al Jinz beach

A new hatchling popped out of the sand almost at our feet. Heading for the nearest light it set off inland. ‘We are not allowed to touch the turtles,’ our guide said gently turning the hatchling round ‘but under the circumstance…’ Amid the torches and the confusion I doubt (s)he made it, but only one hatchling in a thousand reaches adulthood.

New hatchling, Ras Al Jinz Beach

We returned to the turtle that had now finished laying and was burying her eggs, using her back and front flippers to throw sand over them. It looked another arduous task and she stopped frequently to regather her strength.

Green turtle, Ras Al Jinz beach

Perhaps the photographs above are not the world’s best, they were taken using a handheld camera in pitch darkness lit only by a pocket torch. Well done the Cannon Powershot G7X.

We left the turtles in peace and headed back up the path. It had been a long evening with much hanging around, particularly at the start, but it had all been worth it. Still feeling the glow when we returned to our hotel, I even forgot I had missed my dinner – not many experiences can do that!

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Location: Sur, Oman

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