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
Photos: credits and licences
- Whale sharks (August–November) — Abe Khao Lak, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Green and hawksbill turtles — Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Arabian Sea humpback whales (south, December–March) — Juan Cruzado Cortés, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Eagle rays and mobula rays — the manta ray had a family, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Schools of trevally and barracuda — Dr. Dwayne Meadows, NOAA/NMFS/OPR, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Leopard (zebra) sharks — Felix Frost-Savage, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Honeycomb and giant moray eels — Nhobgood Nick Hobgood, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Spanish dancers and nudibranchs — Pritska (Uploads), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
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
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