Ras Al Jinz Scientific & Visitor Center

Ras AI Jinz is a fishing village located in the Ras Al Hadd Turtle Reserve, on the eastern shores of the Arabian Peninsula.

The Ras AI Jinz beach is world renown for the nesting endangered green turtle, Chelonia mydas, probably the most important nesting concentration on the Indian Ocean. This is the only place where the public can watch the nesting process of these amazing sea giants.

The Turtle Reserve was established by Royal Decree in 1996. The Ras AI Jinz Turtle Centre, an ecotourism project, was established in 2008 to help monitor the fascinating and amazing nesting processes of these giants of the marine turtle world.

Whilst the Centre cannot control the natural threats to marine turtles such as, birds, crabs and fish preying on the hatchlings or adult turtles being attacked by sharks or foxes predating on the eggs and hatchlings the Reserve, in conjunction with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs can educate and control the human induced threats, such as:

- Commercial harvesting for turtle meat and shells

- Loss of Habitat

- Disturbance while nesting

- Litter/pollution such as plastic bags and bottles, glass bottles, soda cans, tissues, fishing line, rope and so on

- Throwing any rubbish into the sea or onto the beach

- Artificial light such as flash photography and car lights

- Vehicles driving on beaches