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Ocean Calling

Ocean Atlas · Red Sea and Arabia

Red Sea and Arabia

Oman

Fjords, protected islands and a remote southern coast with turtles, rays and schooling fish.

Mountains rising from the calm water of the Musandam fjords, Oman
Fjords of the Musandam Peninsula, Oman · Photo: Robert Haandrikman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
On pause, travel not recommended

On pause, travel not recommended. A government travel advisory says not to travel here, so we do not offer trips. Sources: Recomendaciones de viaje: Oman, Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores de Espana, 2026; Oman travel advice, UK FCDO, 2026; Dolphin watching in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman: tourist perceptions and actual current practice, IWC Whale Watching Handbook.

Why: Because of the regional conflict, EU and US citizens may be advised against travelling to Oman, and the UK warns of possible short notice airport closures, so please check your own government's website. Our ethics check for trips is paused. The Daymaniyat Islands are a nature reserve. If trips happen one day, we would watch dolphins only from a calm boat that keeps its distance.

We share this country as a story and do not offer trips. This is not a judgement of the people or the ocean here. It only means that today we could not find a visit that meets our animal-welfare and safety standards. Places change, so we look again every year.

⚠️ Official travel advice is a separate question, and it differs by passport. EU citizens or US citizens may be advised against travelling there, so please check your own government’s website before you plan.

FreedivingScubaWhalesTurtlesSharks

Why Oman

Oman's coast runs from the fjords of Musandam to a remote southern coast in Dhofar. Musandam and Khasab have turtles, rays and schooling fish, and dolphins are often seen from dhows. The protected Daymaniyat Islands near Muscat are known for turtles, coral reef and rays, for freediving and diving. Dhofar and the Hallaniyat Islands are shaped by seasonal upwelling. October to April is the most comfortable time, avoiding summer heat and the monsoon.

Conservation-led. Ocean Calling guests never chase, touch or bait animals.

KazakhstanUzbekistanIndonesiaDem. Rep. CongoSomaliaKenyaSudanChadRussiaNigerNigeriaCameroonCentral African Rep.CongoIsraelLebanonPalestineJordanUnited Arab EmiratesQatarKuwaitIraqOmanThailandLaosMyanmarMongoliaIndiaBangladeshBhutanNepalPakistanAfghanistanTajikistanKyrgyzstanTurkmenistanIranSyriaArmeniaBulgariaGreeceTurkeyAlbaniaSri LankaChinaItalyAzerbaijanGeorgiaEritreaYemenSaudi ArabiaN. CyprusCyprusEgyptLibyaEthiopiaDjiboutiSomalilandUgandaMacedoniaMontenegroKosovoS. SudanDhofar and the Hallaniyat Islands, OmanMusandam and Khasab, OmanMuscat and the Daymaniyat Islands, Oman

When to go

Oct-Apr. Timing changes by place and by animal, so check each place below.

Official travel advice or our ethics check means we do not send guests here.

Our ethics check

Can we travel here ethically?

On pause, travel not recommended

We follow government travel advice. We will look again when it changes.

This is not a judgement of the people or the ocean here. It only means that today we could not find a visit that meets our animal-welfare and safety standards. Places change, so we look again every year. Checked 30 Sep 2026.

⚠️ Official travel advice is a separate question, and it differs by passport. EU citizens or US citizens may be advised against travelling there, so please check your own government’s website before you plan.

Sources for this check
The story

Where in Oman

We share these places as stories and research notes. We do not offer or sell trips here.

Dhofar and the Hallaniyat Islands

On pause, travel not recommended

A remote southern coast with turtles, rays and schooling fish, shaped by seasonal upwelling.

What lives here: Turtles, Rays, Schooling fish and barracuda, Reef fish, Seasonal kelp-like algae

Also seen: Arabian Sea humpback whales (rare)

When: Oct-May. October to May has the most reliable diving. The June to September monsoon is avoided.

Musandam and Khasab

On pause, travel not recommended

Fjords with turtles, rays and schooling fish underwater, and dolphins often seen from dhows.

What lives here: Turtles, Rays, Moray eels, Schooling fish, Reef sharks (occasional)

Also seen: Humpback and bottlenose dolphins (boat), Spinner dolphins (regular, from the boat)

When: Oct-Apr. Diving is possible all year. October to April is most comfortable, avoiding the extreme summer heat.

Muscat and the Daymaniyat Islands

On pause, travel not recommended

Protected islands near Muscat, known for turtles, coral reef and rays, good for freediving and diving.

What lives here: Green and hawksbill turtles, Reef fish and coral, Rays and eagle rays, Blacktip, leopard and zebra sharks, Moray eels and nudibranchs

Also seen: Dolphins (sometimes seen on boat crossings, never sure)

When: Oct-Nov. This is research only for now, and we do not offer trips. When conditions allow, October and November look best for the water and comfort.

Rules and fees: The Daymaniyat Islands are a nature reserve, and a daily permit is needed to visit or dive there. Landing on the islands is not allowed from May to October, and coral and nesting turtles must never be disturbed.

Animals

Animals recorded in Oman

Tap an animal to learn how it lives, where it travels and how to meet it respectfully.

Huge spotted whale shark gliding through open blue waterWhale sharkRhincodon typusSeen in 54 countries in the AtlasEndangeredTwo spinner dolphins swimming over sand in clear waterSpinner dolphinStenella longirostrisSeen in 66 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernScarred Risso's dolphin spyhopping out of the waterRisso's dolphinGrampus griseusSeen in 56 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernStriped dolphin leaping, dark flank stripe clearly visibleStriped dolphinStenella coeruleoalbaSeen in 43 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernLoggerhead turtle at the surface feeding on Portuguese man o' warLoggerhead turtleCaretta carettaSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasVulnerableIndian Ocean humpback dolphin showing its pale dorsal humpIndian Ocean humpback dolphinSousa plumbeaSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasEndangeredCommon bottlenose dolphin swimming over a seagrass bedCommon bottlenose dolphinTursiops truncatusSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernPod of common dolphins surfacing in calm blue seaCommon dolphinDelphinus delphisSeen in 53 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernPod of bottlenose dolphins swimming over a Red Sea coral reefIndo-Pacific bottlenose dolphinTursiops aduncusSeen in 29 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedPantropical spotted dolphin gliding at the calm ocean surfacePantropical spotted dolphinStenella attenuataSeen in 56 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBlue-spotted ribbontail ray resting on sand, seen from aboveBlue-spotted ribbontail rayTaeniura lymmaSeen in 22 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernRound ribbontail ray swimming over rocks at Santa Cruz, GalápagosRound ribbontail rayTaeniurops meyeniSeen in 18 countries in the AtlasVulnerableDay octopus beside a coral head on a sandy Red Sea reefDay octopusOctopus cyaneaSeen in 35 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernHumpback whale swimming close with long pectoral finHumpback whaleMegaptera novaeangliaeSeen in 87 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernGreen turtle resting on the reef, shell and head pattern in sharp detailGreen turtleChelonia mydasSeen in 103 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernHawksbill turtle swimming, pointed beak in profileHawksbill turtleEretmochelys imbricataSeen in 88 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredZebra shark resting on sandy reef floor, spotted body and ridgesZebra sharkStegostoma tigrinumSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasEndangeredTwo blacktip reef sharks swimming over sunlit sand in turquoise waterBlacktip reef sharkCarcharhinus melanopterusSeen in 38 countries in the AtlasVulnerableSperm whale mother raising her fluke beside her calf off DominicaSperm whalePhyseter macrocephalusSeen in 114 countries in the AtlasVulnerablePelagic thresher shark with long whip tail at Kimud Shoal, MalapascuaPelagic thresherAlopias pelagicusSeen in 14 countries in the AtlasEndangeredWall of grey reef sharks cruising in blue waterGrey reef sharkCarcharhinus amblyrhynchosSeen in 33 countries in the AtlasEndangeredTiger shark with clear stripes swimming over a reefTiger sharkGaleocerdo cuvierSeen in 47 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedWhite-spotted eagle rays gliding over coral at Heron Island, Great Barrier ReefSpotted eagle ray (ocellated eagle ray)Aetobatus ocellatusSeen in 28 countries in the AtlasEndangeredFalse killer whale surging through blue water off Rota, Mariana IslandsFalse killer whalePseudorca crassidensSeen in 41 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedBluestreak cleaner wrasse with black stripe and blue tailBluestreak cleaner wrasseLabroides dimidiatusSeen in 51 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernAdult pink Chinese white dolphin swimming beside a grey calf in Pearl River estuary waterChinese white dolphinSousa chinensisSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasVulnerableOlive ridley turtles nesting on Playa Ostional, Costa RicaOlive ridley turtleLepidochelys olivaceaSeen in 40 countries in the AtlasVulnerableSilky shark swimming near the surface in blue waterSilky sharkCarcharhinus falciformisSeen in 48 countries in the AtlasVulnerableSicklefin lemon shark swimming over coral among butterflyfish in French PolynesiaSicklefin lemon sharkNegaprion acutidensSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasEndangeredBlacktip shark swimming in green water in the GalápagosBlacktip sharkCarcharhinus limbatusSeen in 49 countries in the AtlasVulnerableSandbar shark with its tall dorsal fin over a sandy seabed in HawaiʻiSandbar sharkCarcharhinus plumbeusSeen in 19 countries in the AtlasEndangeredSmooth hammerhead swimming in clear blue open water off SpainSmooth hammerheadSphyrna zygaenaSeen in 26 countries in the AtlasVulnerableShortfin mako shark at Condor Bank in the North Atlantic, AzoresShortfin makoIsurus oxyrinchusSeen in 40 countries in the AtlasEndangeredBlue shark swimming in open blue water off the Azores with a diver in the backgroundBlue sharkPrionace glaucaSeen in 50 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedWedge-tailed shearwaters resting togetherWedge-tailed shearwaterArdenna pacificaSeen in 46 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernMasked booby on Ascension IslandMasked boobySula dactylatraSeen in 80 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernDusky grouper underwater at Cabo de Palos, SpainDusky grouperEpinephelus marginatusSeen in 40 countries in the AtlasVulnerableDark cormorant perched on a pale rock ledge with its head raisedSocotra cormorantPhalacrocorax nigrogularisSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasVulnerableAdult brown booby standing on a rock with its bill open against blue sky, PrincipeBrown boobySula leucogasterSeen in 104 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernMilk sharkRhizoprionodon acutusSeen in 33 countries in the AtlasVulnerableGreat cormorant perched on a branch, with white head plumes and a glossy blue-black backGreat cormorantPhalacrocorax carboSeen in 90 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernHuge flock of sooty shearwaters flying low over the sea beside a rocky coastSooty shearwaterArdenna griseaSeen in 53 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedWilson's storm-petrel resting on calm water with its wings raised above its backWilson's storm-petrelOceanites oceanicusSeen in 41 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSwinhoe's storm-petrel flying low over a grey sea, seen at a distanceSwinhoe's storm-petrelHydrobates monorhisSeen in 16 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedSpinner shark swimming just under the surface of calm water, seen from aboveSpinner sharkCarcharhinus brevipinnaSeen in 14 countries in the AtlasVulnerableBigeye thresherAlopias superciliosusSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasVulnerableSpottail sharkCarcharhinus sorrahSeen in 10 countries in the AtlasNear Threatened
Curious?

Why this is a story, not a trip

Read our ethics check above. If you would like to talk about it, Rocío is happy to explain.

Ask RocíoBack to the Ocean Atlas

Also in Red Sea and Arabia
BahrainDjiboutiEgyptEritreaIranIraqIsraelJordanKuwaitPakistanQatarSaudi ArabiaSudanUnited Arab EmiratesYemen

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