The Sultanate of Oman is the oldest independent state adjacent to the Arabian Sea. They accepted Islam in the 7th century AD. Moreover, earlier local inhabitants used stone tools similar to those from the Horn of Africa. The ancient tools from one site are aged at over 106,000 years old. The Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman provide unparalleled scuba diving around large coral reefs in the deep fjords of Musandam (Gulf of Oman). Down at the southern end near Salalah, Oman, tall kelp beds await exploration. In the area between these two points resides a multitude of untouched and undiscovered reefs and wrecks. Moreover, some 1300 to 1500 species of fish inhabit this incredibly dynamic region. Enjoy our blog story:
110,000 Reasons to Go Liveaboard
Diving Oman
Musandam on the northern tip is known for scuba diving around
The Caves and
Lima Rock. Around the Caves expect to see some of the 5 types of turtles found in these waters, cuttlefish, sharks, rays, goldfishes, lobster, shrimp and more. Lima Rock is a drift dive area perfect for advanced divers and has lots of small creatures and even occasional whale shark sightings.
Daymaniyat Islands are scuba diving islands in the Gulf of Oman.
Aquarium in the Eastern Daymaniyat Islands is the most famous dive site with tons of small fish and occasional sightings of pelagics such as mantas and humpback whales.
Coral Garden and
Police Bay are in the western island group and
Black Tip Reef and
Garden of Eden are located in the central island group. Moreover, the sandy beach areas of these islands are nesting grounds for Hawksbill and Green Turtles.
Scuba diving off of Muscat, Oman
Fahal Island (Shark Island) has an abundance of soft and hard corals. In addition, a tugboat wreck rests just past 90ft of depth.
Bandar Khayran is the home to 15 dive sites.
Seahorse Bay, Mermaid Cove, and
Al Munassir (a 276ft long vessel sunk in 2003).
Scuba Diving near Salalah, Oman
Al Hallaniyat Islands are a group of five islands. Khuriya Muriya Island is the home of seasonal 30ft tall kelp beds. So, there is also a British ship sunk by the Germans in WWI here. This area is only assessable by liveaboard boats. However, it's one of the places where you might encounter dolphins, humpback whales and sperm whales.
Merbat Island also has kelp beds until October and the dive sites can be reached by boat or by 4 wheel drive jeeps.
Accommodations, Attractions, Activities
There are a few scuba diving resorts, but to see the most dive sites within one trip or along the coastline it is best to travel by liveaboard. The National Museum of Oman, the Royal Opera House, Nizwa Fort, the Wadi Ghul (Grand Canyon), and other Wadis (oasis) are all spectacular sights. Finally, it might be fun to take a Dhoa sunset cruise. You can also take a coastal cruise to look for dolphins. Night city tours are popular. Above all, do a hop on and off bus tour in Muscat, or take a camel ride into the dessert.
