“The Longest Journey”: A turtle takes 31 years to return to its starting point

A turtle took more than three decades to return to the place from which it embarked on a mission, which may be the longest of its kind in the world of turtles, known for their slowness.

The turtle was living on a beach in the Sultanate of Oman in 1993 when it was tagged by a supervisor of a nature reserve there, before disappearing on a very long journey whose end was discovered yesterday, Thursday, in the same reserve.

According to local reports, the turtle is of the “green” species, and it was tagged on May 10, 1993, by employee Ali bin Nasser Al Amri, before being spotted again on the beaches of the Ras Al Hadd reserve in the South Al Sharqiyah Governorate. Notably, the Omani employee who attached a metal chip bearing a specific number to the turtle, retired during the long journey of this turtle, and the country witnessed many developments and events, including increased interest in turtle reserves.

The turtle is currently living on the beaches of the Ras Al Hadd reserve, and it is not known whether it will settle in the reserve or embark on a new journey in the coming period across the Indian Ocean.

The number of green turtles nesting on most Omani beaches and feeding on seagrasses is estimated at around 20,000 turtles each year.

The turtle reserves in Oman attract tourists and visitors from inside and outside the Sultanate, and the return of tagged turtles to the reserve is observed from time to time, after a long absence, which this time reached 31 years.