Scuba diving locations in Oman:

• Bandar Khayran is a maze of rocky outcrops, deserted beaches and small islands only accessible by boat, hosting stunning rock falls, beautiful walls and reefs filled with colourful arrays of coral and tropical fish.
• Fahal Island, "Shark Island", offers the greatest variety of coral in one area in the whole of Muscat. Black tip reef sharks, rays and turtles are seen regularly.
• Daymaniyat Islands Marine Nature Reserve is 9km off Daymaniyat Islands and offers a protected sanctuary for migrating birds, pristine coral gardens, reefs, walls, abundant fish life, turtles, rays and various sharks including leopard sharks which are only found here.

When to scuba dive in Oman:

The water temperature reaches 28°C in summer, with a nadir of 18°C in winter. During October there is a migration of tuna who are followed by dolphins.

Local standards for gear:

The best scuba diving spots in Oman:

• The City of Winchester wreck sits in 28 to 30 metres of water, a 150m long vessel holding the spurious title of the first British ship to be sunk in an act of war by Germany in the Second World War.
• The S.N.V. Al Munnassir is an 80 metre wreck off Bandar Khayran.
• Barra Jissa is shallow area of up to 15 metres in depth with lots of cuttlefish and spiny lobsters.

The best spots to snorkel in Oman:

Fun scuba facts:

Country data:

Administrative details

• Currency: rial (OMR)
• Population: is about 3,600,000 (2010)
• Time Zone: (GMT+4)
• Main languages spoken: Arabic ## Diveable overseas territories:

Omani diving federations:

Local diving laws and regulations (and PADI-equivalent certifications):