Diving in Oman

Scuba diving opportunities in Oman have grown a lot in recent years. At first you could only go to basic hotels but now you can choose from all kinds of accommodation. Such as boutique hotels, barasti huts, large resorts with many facilities and there are a liveaboards in the north and south of Oman! Of course, you can also extend your diving trip with a (short) tour to discover more of the country. A visit to the capital Muscat is more than worthwhile. A 2- or 3-day trek through the desert with a visit to a wadi and the ancient capital of Nizwa is also truly an experience. On a side note, life in Oman is not cheap like Egypt, but ordinary Western standards.

If you want a destination without mass tourism and have the empire to yourself as a diver, absolutely go diving in Oman!

Going to Oman during Ramadan presents some restrictions. It might be an idea to travel outside this period. See when Ramadan is here.

Diving in Oman

Roughly speaking, there are three diving regions in Oman, each with its own character. The best diving season for diving in Oman is September – June. It’s not too hot then. Visibility is from December to March to about 10-20 meters. The rest of the year as much as 40-50 meters.

Because Oman lies at a crossroads of several seas and also in the route of the monsoon, the water can sometimes be green due to the large amount of plankton. Not best for visibility but in return you get a lot of fish swimming. Diving in Oman is therefore characterized by the large amount of fish you will see. The leopard shark is a shark you may encounter while diving in Oman!

Diving Oman | Musandam

The town of Khasab is located in Musandam in the far north of Oman. A strange place actually because it is not attached to the rest of Oman but north of Dubai and Fujairah. The flight is direct to Dubai and then another transfer of about 2.5 hours. The warm green waters from the Arabian Gulf to the west and the Gulf of Oman to the east make for a hugely diverse marine life. Deep drop-offs, lots of plankton and big hunters descending on them. Dolphins, manta rays, zebra sharks, whale sharks, sometimes even a hammerhead shark. Diving here is done among jagged rocks and cliffs, the fjords of Oman. An excellent home for numerous species of fish. Large hunting morays, swarming schools of fish and emperor fish alternate here. More than 25 dive sites where you practically dive alone.

Diving in Musandam is additionally extremely inexpensive!

And if you have time, a hike through the Hajar Mountains is an absolute must. Not to mention a liveaboard with a traditional dhow. Between the fjords, that is truly a wonderful experience.

Diving Oman | Muscat

Near the capital, Muscat, you can do perhaps the best diving in Oman. The Daymaniat Islands are a protected natural park and you can tell by the marine life! A very healthy fish population, large coral gardens and deep dropoffs. They are 9 islands 18 km from the Batinah coast. Reefs with hard and soft corals starting at 5 meters to 30 meters with colorful reef fish, groupers, manta rays, turtles and rays. From June to October, you can spot whale sharks here. From Millenium Hotel you dive at all the islands. If you stay at the Sifawy, you can take a day trip with 3 dives to the easternmost islands.

Below Muscat, the many bays and at Al Fahal Island also offer wonderful diving. Located 4 km from the mainland, the island of Al Fahal is an excellent environment for bivalves, coral and algae due to its limestone and marl. So you will find a variety of fish and hard and soft corals. There is also a swim-through, a wreck at 30 meters and steep reefs up to 40 meters with schools of barracudas. Sharks are usually seen near the sandbars and giant eagle rays in the distance. Orcas and whale sharks are also sometimes spotted. Ras Abu Dawood is another beautiful island with steep walls on the east side and shallow reefs on the west side. Reef sharks, turtles and stingrays. A wreck dive to a freighter at 16 meters is also recommended. On this side of Muscat is also the Al Munassir wreck.

Diving Oman | Salalah

If you really want to discover new dive sites, the far south is the place-to-be. To the south, a liveaboard sails to show you the best dive sites around the Hallaniyat Islands. This is for true adventurers and pioneers because with the liveaboard you will also be looking for new gems underwater. Visibility varies from 10 to 30 meters because it is on the ocean side but therefore attracts rays, manta rays, humpback whales and dolphins. Meanwhile, there are diving schools in Mirbat, 80 km east of Salalah. Bays with kelp forests and beautiful corals and an abundance of fish and nudibranchs. The dives are mostly from shore to about 18 meters depth.