Diving in Muscat, Oman
#1
Posted 15 December 2008 - 11:30 AM
Our first day of diving was cancelled due to bad weather. The second day was abandoned because of engine failure half way out to the site. we then decided to cut our losses, and headed for the Oman diving centre, Muscat - conveniently beside the Shangri-la resort. On day three we were FINALLY rewarded with a day of great diving... hurrah!
Water: 25C/77F
Air: 25C/77F
Viz: variable - 3 - 15 metres (10 - 45 feet) What made the conditions so variable is the current and unusual phenomenon of the Oman "red tide" which is working its way down the coast. It is like diving in brown patchy fog and similar to the "olden day" effect you get on those fun pics you get taken at the funfair
Marine Life: Pretty amazing. Nothing especially rare or incredible, but it was mating season! Over two dives we saw countless cuttle fish, honeycomb moray eels - many in rocks together , box fish, Arabian Picasso trigger fish, scorpion fish - and something I'd never seen before - not one, but two pairs of mating conches. Pic not brilliant due to the viz.. Some soft and hard coral, but the sites we dived were mainly rocky/sandy.
We decided not to go on the fourth day for other reasons, but the diving was defiantly worthwhile, despite the red tide.
Another highlight of the trip was on the drive back to Abu Dhabi - offroading up to Jebel Shams, the "Grand Canyon" of the Middle East.
As I notice a few members are in and out of the region, I would recommend Muscat as a destination for a weekend of decent diving it you want to avoid long haul to the Far East.
#2
Posted 15 December 2008 - 11:42 AM
Sounds good Sheena. Keep the reports coming.
Tech Support - The hard we do right away; the impossible takes us a little longer...
"I like ponies on no-stop diving. They convert "ARGH!! I'M GOING TO DIE" into a mere annoyance." ~Nigel Hewitt
#3
Posted 16 December 2008 - 08:51 AM
#4
Posted 16 December 2008 - 12:08 PM
Didn't the Captain & Tennille have a song about Muscat Love... ??? hehehe
I had to google it - almost right Simon. Muskrat love... Certainly Muscat underwater was full of it ....
#5
Posted 22 June 2009 - 10:28 AM
The Damaniyat islands are about 1 - 2 hours boat ride off Muscat, Oman, an UNESCO site and a nature reserve, which is patrolled at a minimal level unfortunately. I have only dived about 6 sites but they really offer very good diving - and without a doubt the best in the Middle East Gulf Region. Wonderful soft and hard coral, lots and lots of reef fish, turtles galore (in April they were nesting on the island beaches - that itself was incredible to see), countless moray eels of various varieties, cowtail sting rays, leopard sharks. I could go on and on... the only down side is that some of the reefs are littered with disguarded illegal fishing nets and pplastic water bottles sadly litter some of the beaches. Locally based environmentalists and divers are campaigning for the government to have a clean up and patrol the islands more rigorously.
The vis last weekend varied from between 25 - 30 metres, water was around 30C.
So if anyone is passing through the Middle East region or looking for some relatively undiscovered decent, off the beaten track diving, go to Muscat and the Damaniyat islands. I am sorry i hadn't dived them before Bruce was passing through....the Damaniyats are way cool to miss out on!
#6
Posted 29 June 2009 - 01:23 AM
PS - Awesome new avatar!
Edited by ScubaShafer, 29 June 2009 - 01:24 AM.
"Good things come to those who wait." Heinz - 1980s
"Good things come to those who wait." Guinness - 1990s
"Good things come to those with weights." ScubaShafer - 2008
#7
Posted 30 June 2009 - 04:40 PM
#8
Posted 04 July 2009 - 12:42 PM
http://www.theendles...px?ArticleID=16
#9
Posted 05 July 2009 - 09:04 AM
Thats a pity. Oman diving is surprisingly good. I have yet to go to Salalah though. Here is the trip report:
http://www.theendles...px?ArticleID=16
thanks for the link. I saw one of the divers using doubles...did you see many divers set up like that. Do the dive shope rent otu doubles, or do you need to bring your own manifold and bands?
#10
Posted 05 July 2009 - 11:26 AM
#11
Posted 06 July 2009 - 05:42 PM
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