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Liveaboard diving in Oman

The Daymaniyat reserve, the fjords of Musandam and Hallaniyat humpback whales

Diving in Oman — the Daymaniyat reserve, whale sharks, Musandam fjords, humpback whales. Liveaboard schedules and prices.

Why divers come here

Daymaniyat Islands — a marine reserve with genuinely healthy hard coral
Whale sharks at the Daymaniyats from August to November
Green and hawksbill turtles on almost every dive
Musandam — Strait of Hormuz fjords, strong currents and big schooling fish
Hallaniyat Islands — the resident humpback whales of the Arabian Sea
The 1914 wreck of the City of Winchester at 20–35 metres

What you'll meet underwater

Whale sharks (August–November) Green and hawksbill turtles Arabian Sea humpback whales (south, December–March) Eagle rays and mobula rays Schools of trevally and barracuda Leopard (zebra) sharks Honeycomb and giant moray eels Spanish dancers and nudibranchs

Practical information

Best season: September–May; whale sharks at the Daymaniyats August–November, humpback whales in the south December–March
Water temperature: 21–31 °C
Visibility: 8–30 m
Wetsuit: 3 mm in summer, 5 mm in winter and in the south (upwelling cools the water to 21°C)
Experience level: Open Water for the Daymaniyats, Advanced for Musandam and the Hallaniyats (currents, depth)
Getting there: Direct and connecting flights to Muscat (MCT) via Dubai, Doha or Istanbul. For the south, a domestic hop to Salalah (SLL). Musandam is reached via Khasab or by road from the UAE.
Airports: Muscat (MCT), Salalah (SLL)
Visa: Many nationalities enter visa-free for short tourist stays with a return ticket, hotel booking and travel insurance; otherwise a 30-day e-visa is issued online before arrival.
Climate: Desert, 25–40°C in summer, 20–30°C in winter; the khareef monsoon hits the south June–September
Currency: Omani rial (OMR)
Language: Arabic
Time zone: UTC+4