Hawksbill Turtle

Photo: Aaron Kaufman · CC BY-NC

Hawksbill turtles feed on sponges and soft corals along Khor Ash-Sham's walls throughout the year, their narrow beaks perfectly adapted to extract prey from crevices that other turtles cannot access. The sheltered fjord provides calm water for resting at the surface and nesting on the small gravel beaches at the khor's head. Oman hosts several significant hawksbill nesting populations and these wall-dwelling individuals are likely residents of a local rookery.