LIVEABOARD DIVING IN Muscat
RECOMMENDED AIRPORT
Muscat International Airport (MCT)
Muscat is the capital of Oman and the country's largest city. It is located in northeast Oman. The rocky Western Al Hajar Mountains dominate the landscape of Muscat. The city lies on the Arabian Sea along the Gulf of Oman and is in the proximity of the strategic Straits of Hormuz. Low-lying white buildings typify most of Muscat's urban landscape, while the port-district of Muttrah, with its corniche and harbour, form the north-eastern periphery of the city. The city in fact consists of three smaller towns: Muscat (the site of the royal palaces), Matrah or Matruh (originally a fishing village and home to the maze-like Matrah Souq) and Ruwi (generally considered the commercial and diplomatic center of the city). This tripartite division will sometimes cause the visitor an inconvenience, as distances between sites can be very long. With vast deserts and rich history, Muscat is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination. It has relatively untouched coastline and offers a variety of diving opportunities. The diving here is characteristic of Omani waters: plankton-rich, which attracts large fish stocks and pelagics, but means visibility is usually around 10m/33ft. There are stunning coral-covered walls and abundant marine life including lots of turtles, rays, various shark species and the occasional whale shark. The best dive sites are Daymaniyat Islands, Bander Khayran, Fahal Island and Al Munassir Wreck. The Daymaniyat Islands are a nature reserve and an important turtle nesting site, which is located about 20km/12mi off shore, north of Muscat. This dive site consists of small, rocky, islands encircled by coral reefs. There is an abundant fish life (including large pelagics). June to September are the best months to travel here to have a chance to encounter whale sharks. Al Munassir, a 3000 ton vessel, that was sunk in 2003 at Bandar Khairan, became a beautiful artificial reef dive. Although it is relatively new site, this wreck is home to many corals, giant morays, large schools of snapper and goatfish as well as turtles and rays. Easily accessible, Al Munassir lies at the depth of 30m/98ft.