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Chinese Actress Zhag Ziyi travels to Oman
Posted on | August 23, 2009 | Posted by Marian Simms Comments Off
Conservation is a passionate issue for Chinese superstar Zhang Ziyi. On a recent visit to Oman to film a documentary, she pledged to help highlight the plight of endangered species, in particular the turtles that live in the pristine waters of the unspoilt Middle Eastern sultanate.
Watching newly hatched turtles make their slow, arduous and hazard-strewn journey across the beach to the ocean is to witness one of nature’s most miraculous events.
Within seconds of coming into the world, the tiny creatures, barely the size of a biscuit, instinctively use their minuscule fins to push vigorously towards the sea, braving the multiple threats of furrowed sand, marauding seagulls, prowling foxes and predatory crabs.
During the mating season, the captivating spectacle can be seen on parts along the lengthy coastline of Oman, including the beach at Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa, a popular nesting spot for hundreds of turtles, who make their way back to the exact beach where they were born.
The extraordinary sight entrances everyone who is privileged to witness it, including movie star Zhang Ziyi, who recently visited the country to see for herself the sterling conservation efforts being made by the eco-conscious Omani authorities.
To witness the spectacular turtle show first hand, Zhang, who is brand ambassador for Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, did not have to venture too far from her luxury room at the swish, ocean-side property. Every night during hatching season, female turtles flip‑flop their way up the beach to dig holes in the sand, where they lay a batch of around 100 eggs; about two months later, fledgling turtles emerge, ready to make their instinctive, stuttering dash towards the shoreline.
Shangri-La takes conservation so seriously that a turtle ranger is on the resort staff, hired specifically to ensure the turtles’ safety and provide information to guests and visitors. Omani Mohammed Al Hasni, whose family have fished the coastline for generations, is a fervent conservationist, who sees it as a personal mission to help save the threatened species.
The affable Omani acted as personal guide for Zhang for both shoreline turtle-watching and ocean dolphin-spotting missions during the making of Zhang Ziyi’s Oman, a documentary about the magical Middle Eastern nation due to be released later this year.
“It is so great to be able to see the wonders of nature close up,” says Zhang, star of Memoirs of a Geisha and the Oscar winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. “I learned some amazing things, too. For instance, whether the turtle is male or female depends on where the mother lays the eggs. If the sand is cooler, they are more likely to be male; if it is warmer, they are more likely to be female.
“It is also fascinating to learn that when the turtles become adults, they find their way back many years later to exactly the same beach where they were born. And we know they don’t have a compass to help them locate the beach!”
Tracking devices attached by scientists have shown that the turtles roam the oceans from birth to adulthood before an uncanny instinct brings them back, some two decades later, to the place where they first crawled and stumbled into the ocean.
The actress, who takes a keen interest in conservation issues, also learned that the chances of a newborn turtle surviving are incredibly slim, with only an estimated one in a thousand hatchlings making it to adulthood.
The threats begin even before birth. Once the female turtle has laid her eggs, the shallow beachside nest is immediately a target for hungry birds and animals that prowl the beaches of Oman, including swooping seagulls and prowling foxes. Even assuming the minutes-old baby turtle makes it to the ocean, the tiny creature has to avoid the unwanted attentions of fish, sharks and seabirds, all on the lookout for an easily acquired meal.
But the youngsters who do live to adulthood face the prospect of a long life, with plenty of travel opportunities. The turtles venture far and wide – green turtles think nothing of making the long trek down from the Middle East to South Africa and back – and can live up to 100, or even beyond.
“When I see the dolphins and turtles in their natural habitat, it makes me more passionate about conservation, as it is the only way to ensure that these creatures survive,” says Zhang, 30. “We cannot live without them – everything in nature is interdependent and interconnected.
“I was very impressed by the work Shangri-La has done to make sure the turtles have nesting places here at the resort in Oman. It is amazing that such a hotel can coexist with nature. Here is a luxury hotel, which allows people from all over the world to come and learn about the culture and conservation of a country.
“I was also involved in a similar project with Shangri-La at their Rasa Ria Resort in Sabah, Malaysia, where they are helping to save the orang-utans. They have a sanctuary, with rangers, to help nurse orphan babies to adulthood. The Shangri-La group is doing something wonderful and meaningful. They give back by having professionals who make sure the animals are safe and protected.”
During her time in Oman, the Beijing-born star also headed out to view, close up, the pods of dolphins that call the Arabian Gulf home, in the warm and clear waters just off Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa. Swimming with dolphins is forbidden off the coast of Oman, but the actress had ample chance to get up close and personal with the playful mammals.
Zhang watched with fascination as a pod of up to 1,000 dolphins made their way slowly past her personal speedboat, putting on a show of dramatic flips and twirls. The star, no slouch herself when it comes to graceful, martial-arts-style action, was beguiled by the natural grace of the creatures – and their natural inclination to perform for an audience.
“I have seen dolphins; but, not like this, so close to so many of them,” she says. “I wish I could swim with them – I am a good swimmer – but they say if you get too close to the baby then the mother will pick you up and lift you out of the way, which sounds very dangerous!
“This trip has allowed me to get very close to nature. I only knew about Oman from Sinbad the Sailor, the fairytale story, and now I am here to see it for myself. Fantastic.”
During the filming, Zhang became immersed in the culture of the ancient nation, mesmerised by the stunning Arabic architecture and charmed by the gentle grace of the Omani people. The sultanate, ruled for almost four decades by Sultan Qaboos bin Said, is an undiscovered gem, a nation with its ecological treasures still intact and its traditions strong.
The appeal of Oman as a tourism destination, particularly for eco-conscious travellers, was outlined to Zhang during an interview with a member of the royal family, Her Highness Sayyida Tania bint Shabib Al Said, a passionate advocate of conservation, whose initiatives are helping Oman maintain the balance between development and tradition. Up-market tourism, targeting ecologically aware visitors, is seen as a way of generating revenue without posing any threat to the natural world.
Among the princess’s environmental initiatives is a scheme to persuade locals to abandon plastic bags in favour of reusable bags, a message that has been welcomed warmly by conservationists, particularly those charged with looking after the welfare of turtles.
“Plastic bags are a real hazard for turtles; they think they are jellyfish and try to eat them and often they end up entangled in the bags and suffocate,” says Ahmad Kronfol, operations and community outreach manager at the Ras al-Jinz Scientific and Visitor Centre, on the far eastern tip of Oman’s coastline.
“The bags can take a thousand years to degrade, so they remain a hazard in the ocean. Little things like that can make a difference, if people stop to think. The turtles are endangered today … and they have been around since the time of the dinosaurs.”
Conservationists such as Kronfol and his colleagues have to strike a balance between allowing visitors to experience the wonder of watching the turtles hatch and too much human encroachment on the creatures’ natural habitat. Strictly limited numbers are allowed on the conservation centre’s beach daily; most people are assured of seeing at least one turtle lay eggs, and a hatchling make its way into the world, while those lucky enough to go during the peak breeding season may see hundreds.
Observers are sternly warned not to interfere in any way, to keep quiet, switch off torchlights and maintain a respectful distance. Many are shocked and saddened to see babies killed only minutes after they come into the world by animals or birds on the lookout for an easy snack.
“Nature can be very hard on the turtles,” says Krofol, whose organisation estimate that some 30,000 turtles nest annually on the beaches of Ras al-Jinz. “They are eaten by crabs and red foxes and make a delicious meal for fish. Only one in a thousand survive and the decreasing number of beaches further threatens the survival rate.
“At the centre, we don’t interfere either positively or negatively. We could put scarecrows on the beach to scare off the birds but we don’t. The fox has to have food and it feeds off the turtles; who is to say we should let the fox die?
“It is all about balance and keeping the purity of nature. What we can do is make sure that the beaches still exist and are not reduced by building, and leave nature as it should be. We promote ecotourism and sustainable development.”
The young guide never tires of explaining the miracle of turtle-hatching to visitors who make the long trek out to Ras al-Jinz, located some four hours from the capital, Muscat. He and other staffers hammer home the message that the relentless hunting of turtles, for their eggs, skin and shells, has reduced the numbers to the point where six of the seven species are facing the prospect of extinction after surviving for something like 110 million years.
The more their plight is spotlighted, the more likely it is that people worldwide will be spurred into action. High profile stars such Zhang Ziyi, a gigantic star in her native China and now a famous face in Hollywood, can help beat the conservation drum loudly by lending their name, and time, to the cause. In Zhang’s case, she saw, close up, the stringent efforts made by Shangri-La to help ensure the long-term survival of the endangered turtles.
“They are remarkable and precious creatures,” says Zhang. “Visiting Oman and seeing unspoilt nature has made me even more passionate about helping to save what is still surviving. Time is running out and everyone can do their bit to help . . . ”