Summer in Oman is synonym of high temperature and in some regions high humidity too. One of the places where it is possible to escape the heat is the Eastern coast, where the Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve is located. Thanks to the strong monsoon winds coming from the Indian ocean that prevail during the summer, the temperature is a few good degrees lower than the usual. Summer is also the best time of the year to see several species of turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs; every night, hundreds of these majestic animals arrive at these beaches after crossing the ocean, returning to the coast where they were born.
I visited the reserve last year (see link below), and returned this year too, to see them again. I previously wrote about this experience, so this time I will jump straight into the photos.
Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve – PauloBizarroPHOTOBLOG
For this trip, I took my Fujifilm X-E5 camera and Fujinon 35mm f/1.4 lens. I knew they would be adequate to photograph during the two guided visits (one at night, the other at dawn). All visits in the reserve are supervised by experienced guides, so not to disturb the turtles.
At night, red lamps are used, which result in unpleasant light; therefore, I converted the images into black and white. It is truly impressive to see these gentle giants arriving on the beach, climbing up the sand, and digging their nests to lay hundreds of eggs. After these exhausting efforts, they return to the sea; after a couple of months, the babies will hatch and make their first journey into the ocean. After around 25 years, the females will return to these shores to continue this cycle of life. It is both a wonderful and humbling experience.
