#WorldOceansDay: Turtle returns home to Oman after 31 year break

A turtle has returned to its nesting site on Oman's shores after 31 years, scientists have revealed, shortly before World Oceans Day.

The green turtle, one of several turtle species found in the sultanate, made the epic journey back to its nesting site at a reserve in eastern Oman.

The animal was tagged and tracked by the Omani turtle expert Rashid Al-Ameri on 30 March 1991, Omani media reported on Sunday.

"After 31 years, a green turtle has returned to the shores of the Sultanate of Oman to nest in the South Al Sharqiyah Turtle Reserve. Environment Authority specialists were able to monitor the turtles that were numbered on March 30, 1991, by the now retired observer, Rashid Al Amri," Oman's Environment Authority said in a statement.

Oman is home to five of the world's seven species of sea turtles including loggerheads, greens and leatherbacks.

The nesting sites and reserves dot the shores of the sultanate and have become a key attraction for tourists and vital for the study of the animal.