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Your Guide to Diving in Oman

Pelagic Adventures on the Arabian Peninsula

...Highlights: whale sharks, manta rays, whales, dolphins, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics...
...Diving environment: healthy reefs, beginner and advanced divers...

Oman is blessed with a 3,000 km Arabian Sea coastline and is renowned as one of the most welcoming, tourist-friendly countries in the region. The land is a series of rugged mountainous landscapes, oasis-dotted deserts, lively towns and beaches that stretch forever. These days the underwater world is become better known as an equally fascinating place to explore.

The diving is concentrated in 2 distinct areas: the northern region that includes the Daymaniyat islands off the coast of Muscat and the southern region where the Hallaniyat islands are the focus. An unforgettable Oman liveaboard diving cruise could focus on either of these regions or include them both on a transit trip between the two.

The crystalline waters of Oman are rich with marine life big and small, and more than 1,000 different types of fish and shellfish are home in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman. The largest species include humpback whales, sperm whales, dolphins, whale sharks, mola mola, mobula and manta rays, king mackerel and tuna. Strict fishing limits and the creation of expansive marine parks means the fish life such as tuna and king mackerel are in abundance. There are also turtles, moray eels, angelfish, stingrays, lobsters, crayfish and a variety of nudibranchs. There are many species in Oman found nowhere else in the Arabian peninsula. Strict fishing conditions and large marine parks ensure that this valuable treasure is protected.


Dive Site Descriptions




How to Dive Oman

Oman has a long coastline, with Daymaniyat and Hallinyat being at opposite ends of it. The only way to get to see it all is from the luxury of a 7 or 10 night liveaboard cruise.



The Diving Season

Diving in Oman possible throughout the year. However, there are regional variations. In Damaniyat the water temperature is 30+°C from May to October but falls to a low of 23°C in February. Due to the plankton blooms that attract big fish and sharks, the visibility is normally 5-15m, but can reach 25m with favourable conditions. September/October is usually the best time for visibility here. Currents are minimal and surface conditions calm. From September to November you have the highest chance of seeing whale sharks, sometimes in groups of 10-15 individuals. June to September is the best time to see the nesting season of turtles (hatching 2 months later).

In Hallaniyat the water temperature is 27-29°C from April to June and again in October/November, but drops to 24-25°C in January/February and July/August. Visibility is usually around 5-15m, but 10-20m in April/May. Currents are moderate but stronger in the spring and summer. The summer and Autumn also bring sea swells. January to April is the time to see humpback whales, November/December for oceanic manta rays,

Muscat (near Damaniyat) is hot and very dry. Air temperatures rise during the summer and peak in June at 40°C; it is coolest in January/February at 26°C. Salalah (near Hallaniyat) has a markedly different climate. Air temperatures hover between 30-32°C except in winter (December-February) and in the wetter monsoon months of July-August when it drops to 27°C and more than 2 cm of rain falls! Humidity is also higher at 80% in July-August. Visit the Weather Atlas for more details on the climate of Muscat and Salalah.

Where is Oman and How Do I Get There?

Review our map below showing Oman's location in the world.

Map of the world (click to enlarge in a new window)

The Sultanate of Oman is located on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula, at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. The United Arab Emirates lies to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. Our liveaboard cruises use ports in the capital city Muscat, and in Salalah. A large number of airlines operate flights to Muscat Airport (MCT), and a few to Salalah Airport (SLL), including the national carrier Oman Air. There are direct flights with much of Europe (including the UK), Asia, the Middle East, and north and east Africa, but you can also connect very easily through Dubai, Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.


Reef Summary

Depth

16 -100 ft (5 - 30m)

Visibility

15 - 70 ft (5 - 20m)

Currents

Gentle to strong

Surface conditions

Generally calm, swell in summer

Water temperature

73 - 90°F (23 - 32°C)r

Experience level

Beginners to advanced

Number of dive sites

~100

Recommended length of stay

7 - 10 days




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