Oman Explorer Itinerary

Hallaniyat Islands (Mirbat) 14N

The winter belongs to the southern tour, which leads along the coast to the group of Hallaniyats which are probably the most diverse diving area of the Sultanate! These islands promise extraordinary biodiversity and incredible abundance of fish! Those 5 islands are located in the open ocean, around 40 to 70 km south of Dhofar and only one of the islands is inhabited. Beautiful bays between rugged cliffs make the crossings between the islands even above water an experience! With a bit of luck, you can meet the resident population of humpback whales and even huge pods of dolphins on the way back to Mirbat! The untouched Hallaniyats boast a healthy marine life with huge fish schools and a beautiful wreck. Sometimes you can also encounter even mantas and mobulas. The Hallaniyat Islands are the perfect winter destination where you can expect everything.

The exact routing is weather dependent or depending on the diving experience of our guests. Routing changes due to port authority regulations are reserved.

 

The Oman is not as well-known for diving as other destinations. However, if you like to avoid the crowds and be almost alone at the dive sites, Oman diving offers a genuine alternative to the Red Sea. The destination is also quite easy accessible from Europe. The maximum depth of the dive site varies between 15 and 30 meters and both, beginners and advanced divers, get their money’s worth with diversified dives. In Oman you expect the unexpected! The fish life and the abundance of fish is amazing, as the waters are filled with plankton and attract large schools of fish. Large groupers, leopard sharks, stingrays, barracudas, turtles, sepia and rare moray eels cam be encountered during the dives. At the right time of the year even a friendly whale shark might pass by. In the Southern part at the Hallaniyat Islands you can even see humpback whales! Also the macro life with nudibranchs in various colours, sea horses, shrimps and other critters is amazing. Divers encounter a mixture of walls and rocky landscapes with small wall sections. The reefs are covered with colourful hard and soft corrals. Due to the plankton and the thermocline the visibility varies between 5 and 20 metres but the mass of fish and richness of species surely make up for it. As the water temperature might vary between 26 degrees on the surface and 22 below the thermocline we recommend at least a 5mm wetsuit and an extra hood for the diving. Please note, the minimum required level of certification to dive is Open Water and we strongly recommend having at least the Specialty of Deep Diver. We also recommend having a minimum of 50 dives for liveaboard trips (for Oman Explorer trips).

Sample itineraries are for guidance only. Actual itineraries may differ slightly due to factors such as weather, wildlife, logistics and local regulations.