Oman is a country abundant with diverse, beautiful marine life. It is indeed a heaven for the sea-lovers. With a long, beautiful coastline running through the entire country, there are plenty of spots that are perfect for enjoying the underwater beauty in this otherwise brown, rugged country. One of the best activities in Oman is Dolphin watching in Muscat, the capital city.

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One cannot be far from the sea in Muscat. It has a variety of islands, including the Daymaniyat and Fahal Islands and marinas, including Al-Mouj Marina and Bandar Al-Khiran, along with several beaches in the city.

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Dolphin watching in Muscat

One of the areas common for dolphin watching in Muscat is Bandar Al-Khiran. There cannot be a better and ethical way to enjoy this beautiful creation of nature than seeing them in their natural habitat. Located at a 45 minutes’ drive from the Muscat International Airport, Bandar Al-Khiran is one of the marinas in the city, perched between the brown mountains. It is also one of the most popular weekend gateways for the people in Muscat city. Located next to the Bandar Al-Khiran is the luxury resort of Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah, which offers a peaceful, lavish staycation with a lot of water activities.

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There are plenty of companies that offer boat tours and activities from Bandar Al-Khiran, and dolphin watching is one of those.

There is usually two-time slots every day that different operators offer for dolphin watching. Usually, the morning slot has a better chance of dolphins been seen than the afternoon slot. However, I went for the afternoon slot and ended up seeing tons of dolphins all around. Also, please be mindful that there is no guarantee of seeing the dolphins. These are natural creatures and come out of the water on their own. Although the boat operators are aware of the spots where dolphins are generally seen, and therefore they tend to take you there.

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How to book a dolphin watching trip and it’s the cost?

Tours can be either booked online or purchased on the spot. When one walks towards the marina from the parking lot, there are offices for various operators on the way. Tours can be purchased there. Also, many representatives of these companies can be found around and would help you to buy a tour.

Tours can be either booked online or purchased on the spot. When one walks towards the marina from the parking lot, there are offices for various operators on the way. Tours can be purchased there. Also, many representatives of these companies can be found around and would help you to buy a tour.

However, it is recommended to book online as spots tend to fill up very quickly, especially during the summer season. You wouldn’t want to drive till the marina and then come back disappointed.

There are usually two kinds of tours: one for only Dolphin watching and another one combines snorkelling with dolphin watching. Generally, for only Dolphin watching, the cost is 10 OMR for an adult, and when combined with snorkelling, the price goes to 15 OMR. However, it is advisable to check the latest rates with the operators.

Watching the dolphins

The boat operator takes you almost 30-40 minutes inside the ocean to get a perfect opportunity to see these beautiful creatures. The boats used are small speedboats and have a deck for ideal viewing. While heading towards the ocean, the route offers scenic views of the beautiful, luxurious Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and passes through the stunning rock cravings into the sea.

Once the boat is within the area where dolphins are seen, the operator slows down the boat and presents an opportunity to see these mesmerizing marine animals. If you are lucky enough, you would see schools of dolphins jumping around the boat. Usually, there would be a handful of boats in one area since many operators run these tours. The operators are mindful of the distance with these creatures and ensure they are comfortable in their natural habitat. Dolphins often come very close to the boats and can be seen jumping in their signature pose, in and out of the water. The boat would move around for more than an hour and would offer you a fair amount of time to enjoy the sight.

Heading to the next spot after dolphin watching

Once the dolphin watching session is done, the operator moves towards the shallower area of the ocean for snorkelling. There are life jackets and complete snorkelling equipment available on the boats for those who have purchased snorkelling and would love to give it a try. You would have at least 40-50 minutes for snorkelling around the area. However, Bandar Al-Khiran does not have underwater visibility as good as some of the other spots in Muscat. Nonetheless, it is not a bad idea to give snorkelling a try and enjoy the stunning marine life of Oman.

Once the snorkelling session is done, the boat heads towards the coast to end the trip. The trip usually lasts somewhat around 4 hours so keep that in mind while you plan.

Other activities to enjoy marine life in Oman

Oman has a very stunning coastline and marine life, and there are many ways to enjoy this beauty. Oman has perfect spots for scuba diving and snorkelling, as well as many other water activities, can be enjoyed in the country.

Snorkelling and scuba-diving in Oman

For snorkelling, nearly any beach in the country would do. Beaches are very calm with clear water, and therefore, it is safe and easy to snorkel. Beaches in the southern part of the country, Dhofar region, are somewhat turbulent as compared to Muscat, but still snorkelling shouldn’t be a problem.  

For scuba-diving, several spots in the country are easy to access and present very clear, transparent views underwater.

Daymaniyat Island

Located at a distance of 30km from the Al-Mouj Marina, are the stunning Daymaniyat Islands, home to some of the best marine life in the country and beautiful, white-sand beaches. This is one of the most common spots for scuba-diving in the country as it offers perfect visibility underwater. Several tours are running from Al-Mouj Marina that take you for scuba diving at sites around the Daymaniyat Islands.

During September and October, there are excellent chances of finding whale sharks near the Daymaniyat Islands. These are beautiful, very decent marine creatures. There are plenty of tours offered from Al-Mouj Marina that includes snorkelling with a whale shark.

In case you plan your visit during this time, do keep an eye on these tours. They are worth it.

Fahal Island

Fahal Island, also known as the Shark Island, is located at a distance of 4km from the mainland and can be visible from the Shatti beach or Qurum beach. The island is composed of millions of years old limestone. The area around Fahal Island presents perfect diving conditions. Marine life is in abundance, and visibility is excellent. It is one of the preferred sites for diving in Muscat.

Bandar Al-Khiran

As mentioned earlier, Bandar Al-Khiran is another good diving site in the city. The visibility isn’t as excellent as the other sites. Still, since the tours are pretty frequent and plenty of operators’ work, locations in this area are easily accessed by the public.

Enjoy Marine life in Oman in a semi-submerged vessel

Introduced by a company called Searush Oman, there is an experience for 20 OMR in a semi-submerged vessel that let you enjoy the marine life without getting wet. Operating from the marina of Bandar Al-Khiran, you are taken to the deeper side of the ocean is a small speedboat. Then you are transferred to a semi-submerged vessel that is huge and stays in the middle of the ocean.

This vessel has upper and lower decks. The upper deck lets you enjoy the captivating views around where the turquoise green water blends with the brown mountains. The lower deck is submerged in the water and has small windows like a submarine that offers stunning underwater views.

The vessel rotates every few minutes so you can have views from different angles. This is a perfect experience for people who wish to discover underwater but does not want to get wet.

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Turtle watching at Ras Al-Had and Ras Al-Jinz

Ras Al-Had and Ras Al-Jinz are two of the most massive turtle nesting grounds in Oman. This is a long stretch of a beach in the area of Sur, a coastal town of Oman. This beach is often referred to as Turtle Beach. There is a luxurious Ras Al-Had resort at the beach with all excellent amenities. People who stay with the resort get discounts on their turtle viewings. Read in detail about turtle watching in Oman.

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For all the other people, the cost is 7 OMR per adult to view the turtles. You are escorted in a group with a tour guide, and the tours usually run during the night hours as otherwise, turtles do not come out. The best time to see maximum turtles is from June- August; however, May and September work fine too.

Water activities at Millennium Resort Musannah

Millennium Resort, located at a drive of 45 minutes from the Muscat International Airport, in the district of Musannah, is another luxury resort in the country that is very popular for staycations and weekend gateways. Along with many other excellent facilities, Millennium Resort hosts a PADI dive centre, an Aqua Park and plenty of other water activities. These activities include kayaking, parasailing, jet ski, boat tours, banana boat rides and paddling.

There is a company called Sinbad Travel and Tours who operate these activities. Their crew can be found at the marina of the resort and can be contacted for the activities.

Please note not all the activities run every day. Activities like parasailing are dependent upon the wind conditions, whereas activities like jet ski are dependent upon the tides. Therefore, it is better to call and confirm with them in case you are planning to visit the resort only for these activities.

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Water activities at Qurum Beach

Qurum beach, near the Crowne Plaza Hotel, hosts some water activities too like kayaking and jet ski. If one drives on the road opposite to Qurum Beach towards Crowne Plaza hotel, some men can be seen down on the sand with jet skis and kayaks. These activities here are somewhat cheaper than what they cost at the resort. Jet ski cost you 15 OMR for half an hour and 25 OMR for one hour. Also, note that only cash is accepted here.

Best time for dolphin watching and other water activities in Oman

Oman has a hot and dry climate. From April to October, the months are scorching with May-August being the hottest period in the country. From November onwards, the weather improves. Generally, summer is considered as a good time for dolphin watching and other water activities in the country. Moreover, in summers the marine life is more active as whale sharks, turtles, and other such creatures go through their nesting season.

So how would you prefer to explore marine life in Oman? Don’t forget to go for Dolphin watching in Muscat on your next trip to this mesmerizing country.

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