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Marine Turtle Newsletter 7:4-5, © 1978

Marine Turtle Survey, 1977, Sultanate of Oman

Perran Ross
Ministry of Diwan Affairs, P.O. Box 246, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

The WWF and the Government of Oman are supporting a survey of marine turtles in Oman on the South eastern tip of Arabia. A general aerial survey was undertaken to identify nesting and feeding grounds. On Masirah Island, tagging and data collection carried out by counterparts is underway and aspects of the turtles' reproductive biology are being examined. Educational material about turtles and conservation has been distributed to schools and the press.

On Masirah a large population of loggerhead turtles, estimated at over 30,000, nest. This may be the largest loggerhead nesting ground in the world. Loggerheads like all marine turtles suffer heavy mortality of eggs and hatchlings. On Masirah the activities of people collecting eggs for food and the effect of lights on buildings near the beach disorienting the hatchlings are added to natural mortality. Only about 25% of the eggs laid result in hatchlings reaching the sea. The population is large at the present time and can sustain moderate removal of eggs but the effect of the lights may pose a future threat.

Green turtles are common on shallow water feeding grounds around Oman; major areas are the Masirah Channel and Sawqirah Bay. Local people around Masirah catch and eat moderate numbers of turtles but do not pose any immediate threat to the population. Two major green turtle nesting grounds have been discovered. One around Ras al Hadd supports several thousand turtles. The local people eat turtle eggs but do not kill adult turtles. The isolation of this population serves to protect it from immediate danger. The other nesting ground in Masirah Island shows signs of severe population decline. The main cause seems to be the killing of nesting turtles. The Government of Oman has banned the killing of nesting turtles on this beach and closed the immediate offshore area to trawling. If these protections are passed into law and adequately policed this population should recover.

Both hawksbill turtles and olive ridley turtles have been found nesting in small numbers in association with greens and loggerheads on Masirah. Neither hawksbills or olive ridleys are exploited at the present time and they will benefit from protection given the commoner species.

Much of the data collection has been carried out by counterparts. A continuing tagging study and data collection center are planned. With the increase in conservation awareness in schools and among the people of Oman the information collected by the survey will be used to design a conservation program for turtles.