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Ocean Calling

Ocean Atlas · Red Sea and Arabia

Red Sea and Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Warm Gulf seagrass and coral near Abu Dhabi, with turtles, and dugongs possible from the boat.

Mangroves, white sand and calm water at Mangrove National Park, Abu Dhabi
Mangrove National Park, Abu Dhabi · Photo: Tashmetova808, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Exploring

Ethics pass, with care. We found a way to visit this country that meets our animal-welfare standard, as long as we work with the right local operator. Checked by Ocean Calling on 26 Sep 2026. Sources: Marawah Biosphere Reserve, UNESCO Man and the Biosphere; Dubai Dolphinarium, Wikipedia (shows and swim with dolphins); United Arab Emirates travel advice, UK FCDO, updated 24 Jul 2026.

ScubaSnorkellingTurtlesDolphinsDugongs

Why United Arab Emirates

Off Abu Dhabi, warm Gulf waters hold seagrass meadows, coral and green and hawksbill turtles, with cuttlefish and sea snakes among the reef fish. Dugongs and dolphins may be seen from the boat. Diving and snorkelling are best from October to May, and November to March is cooler and more comfortable.

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

UzbekistanSomaliaSudanChadCentral African Rep.IsraelLebanonPalestineJordanUnited Arab EmiratesQatarKuwaitIraqOmanIndiaBangladeshBhutanNepalPakistanAfghanistanTajikistanKyrgyzstanTurkmenistanIranSyriaArmeniaGreeceTurkeyAlbaniaSri LankaChinaAzerbaijanEritreaYemenSaudi ArabiaN. CyprusCyprusEgyptLibyaEthiopiaDjiboutiSomalilandS. SudanAbu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

When to go

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

We have researched this place and keep learning about it. There is no trip here yet.

Our ethics check

Can we travel here ethically?

Ethics pass, with care

Good with the right operator. Here is how we choose.

Off Abu Dhabi, a large UNESCO biosphere reserve protects seagrass where dugongs feed and turtles forage, and fishing there is limited to traditional methods. The UAE also has dolphinariums that sell shows and swims with captive dolphins, and Ocean Calling does not support these. We snorkel and dive gently over reef and seagrass, and watch dugongs and dolphins only from the boat, at a calm distance.

Checked 26 Sep 2026. Places change, so we look again every year.

Sources for this check
Places we are exploring

Where in United Arab Emirates

Short notes from our research. Wildlife is never guaranteed.

Abu Dhabi

Exploring

Warm Gulf waters with seagrass meadows, coral and turtles, where dugongs and dolphins may be seen.

🤿 In the water: Green and hawksbill turtles, Seagrass meadows, Reef fish, Cuttlefish, Sea snakes

⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Dugongs and humpback dolphins (chance sightings only, never followed)

When: Oct-May. Diving and snorkelling are best October to May. November to March is cooler and more comfortable.

Animals

Animals recorded in United Arab Emirates

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

Indian Ocean humpback dolphin showing its pale dorsal humpIndian Ocean humpback dolphinSousa plumbeaSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasEndangeredPod of bottlenose dolphins swimming over a Red Sea coral reefIndo-Pacific bottlenose dolphinTursiops aduncusSeen in 29 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedGreen 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 EndangeredDugong grazing on seagrass over a sandy seabedDugongDugong dugonSeen in 32 countries in the AtlasVulnerableHuge spotted whale shark gliding through open blue waterWhale sharkRhincodon typusSeen in 54 countries in the AtlasEndangeredTwo blacktip reef sharks swimming over sunlit sand in turquoise waterBlacktip reef sharkCarcharhinus melanopterusSeen in 38 countries in the AtlasVulnerableLoggerhead turtle at the surface feeding on Portuguese man o' warLoggerhead turtleCaretta carettaSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasVulnerableGreat barracuda cruising in open blue water, showing jagged teethGreat barracudaSphyraena barracudaSeen in 84 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernGreat hammerhead seen from above over rippled white sandGreat hammerheadSphyrna mokarranSeen in 20 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredZebra shark resting on sandy reef floor, spotted body and ridgesZebra sharkStegostoma tigrinumSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasEndangeredBull shark swimming in clear blue water off Quintana Roo, MexicoBull sharkCarcharhinus leucasSeen in 30 countries in the AtlasVulnerableBlacktip shark swimming in green water in the GalápagosBlacktip sharkCarcharhinus limbatusSeen in 49 countries in the AtlasVulnerableWedge-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 ConcernDark cormorant perched on a pale rock ledge with its head raisedSocotra cormorantPhalacrocorax nigrogularisSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasVulnerableWhite-eyed gull perched on a corrugated roof against a blue sky, with a dark hood and red billWhite-eyed gullIchthyaetus leucophthalmusSeen in 10 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernAdult brown booby standing on a rock with its bill open against blue sky, PrincipeBrown boobySula leucogasterSeen in 104 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernClose view of a red-footed booby head with blue, pink and red bill and throat skin among green leavesRed-footed boobySula sulaSeen in 91 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 Threatened
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Also in Red Sea and Arabia
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