LIVEABOARD DIVING IN Barka

Barka is a coastal town in the region of Al Batinah, in northern Oman. The town became a popular tourist destination. There are two major resorts in Barka, the Al-Sawadi resort and the Al-Nahda resort. In addition, a new quarter is now under construction in Barka called "Blue City", which is located in Sawadi. One of the tourist attractions in Barka is bull-butting. This is where great Brahmin bulls, specially raised by local farmers, are set nose-to-nose in a push-and-shove that supposedly hurts neither party. Another popular tourist attraction is Barka fort, which has an unusual octagonal tower. It has been closed for restoration for some time, but is still an impressive site. Another famous point of interest in Barka is the 18th-century Bayt Nua’man, a restored merchant house. Barka is also known for its halwa, a unique, laboriously made Omani confection. When it comes to diving, magnificent coral gardens and amazing marine life in resplendent colors make Barka one of the best dive areas in Oman. Some of the popular dive sites near Barka are Clive Rock (average depth is 13m/43ft and max depth is 23m/75ft), Fad Island (average depth is 15m/49ft and max depth is 20m/66ft), Leopard Alley (average depth is 15m/49ft and max depth is 30m/98ft), Little Junn North (average depth is 10m/33ft and max depth is 25m/82ft) and Aquarium (average depth is 10m/33ft and max depth is 20m/66ft). All these dive sites are suitable for divers of all levels of experience. Marine life offers a wide variety of colorful reef fish, stingrays, occasional turtles, Leopard sharks and on rare occasions a whale shark. Also, it is a good area for underwater photography.