The Daymaniyat Islands

An hour off the coast north of Muscat, the Daymaniyat Islands are a line of nine low, rocky islets that have been a nature reserve since the 1990s, and the water around them is a different proposition from the murky inshore sea: clear, full of fish, and ringed with hard and soft coral in better condition than most of the Gulf. Diving and snorkelling here turn up turtles almost every trip, along with rays, reef sharks, huge shoals of fusiliers and, from around the summer, whale sharks passing through. The islands themselves are important nesting grounds for hawksbill and green turtles and for seabirds, so landing is prohibited during the nesting season and permits are required at all times, which is why trips run only with licensed operators. Day boats leave early from the marina and return in the afternoon.

What you actually see

• The coral reefs - the healthiest hard and soft coral in northern Oman.
• Turtles - green and hawksbill turtles seen on almost every dive or snorkel.
• Whale sharks - passing through in the warmer months, with luck.
• The seabird colonies - nesting birds on the protected islets.

When to go

September to May is the main season, with the calmest seas and best visibility; summer brings plankton blooms that reduce visibility but attract whale sharks. Landing on the islands is banned during the turtle and bird nesting season, roughly May to October, though boat trips continue.

Honest expectations

Everything depends on the sea: trips are cancelled regularly when the wind gets up, and the crossing can be bouncy. Permits and licensed operators are compulsory, so this cannot be arranged privately with a fisherman. Landing is restricted for much of the year, so it is often a boat-and-water day rather than an island day. Coral here has suffered bleaching, as reefs have everywhere.

Nearby

Muscat and Mutrah are half an hour from the marina; Nakhal fort and the Batinah wadis are inland.