DIVING DESTINATIONS A DHOW-CRUISE:YOUR GATEWAY TO THE MUSANDAM DIVE SITES A CRUISE IS THE BEST WAY TO REACH AND EXPLORE THE BEST DIVE SITES OF THE PENINSULA FEATURE NICOLA DE CORATO – ADMIN OF DUBAIBLOG, DIVER AND HELI RESCUE SWIMMER PHOTOGRAPHY MASSIMO ZIINO
fishing is not permitted, the biodiversity of marine life is immediately noticeable upon entering the water and leaves a lasting impression on divers. The dive sites themselves range in character from walls to extensive coral gardens. They deliver world class adventurous diving to experienced divers and inexperienced divers alike. Due to the low diving impact in the area, the reefs are healthy and marine life flourishes. Even in the shared cruise, you are able to enjoy and explore dive sites according to your qualifications and experiences.
Located near the Strait of Hormuz, the Musandam Peninsula offers some of the most spectacular diving in the region, with fine coral reefs accommodating many species and numbers of tropical fish and whale sharks are spotted fairly frequently in the months of spring.The Musandam Peninsula is an exclave of Oman, separated from the rest of the country by the United Arab Emirates, with a stunning backdrop inspired by the historical heritage of fishermens’ villages, white sandy beaches and striking mountain scenery. The Musandam’s mountainous fjords give it truly unique character. From the sea, you can easily see the geological conformation of the peninsula with horizontal and vertical stratifications seamlessly chasing each other. Fjords, created by fragmented and weathered rock formations stretch out into the sea and massive overshadowing cliffs tower above the beaches. Thousands of years ago, the entire area was below the seas surface. It was suddenly (geologically speaking) forced up when the rocky plates collided to form the Zagros Mountains in Iran and the Musandam cliffs on the other side of the deepened Gulf. This happened long before the volcanic formations of the Hajar Mountains (once a part of Iran), which after serious geothermal events, was separated from the Zagros Mountains. As the only access to the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz touches the shores of Musandam, carrying rich nutrient laden waters from the Indian Ocean into the Gulf and contributing to a rich biodiversity and a unique ecosystem 96 DIVERS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, JUNE 2014
of beautiful wall dives, coral gardens, turtles, rays, dolphins, whales and many other species. Plankton enriched waters attract over 900 species of fish, ranging from tiny cleaner wrasse through to whale sharks. The dive boats are often accompanied by dolphins which like the calm waters of Musandam’s fjords. Visibility ranges up to 30m and water temperatures are between 21-30ºC offering excellent year round diving conditions. During the months of November to April, it is almost cold (for the region) and there are sometimes many jellyfish, so it is highly recommended to wear 3mm or 5 mm full wetsuits and hoodies, gloves and booties. There is diving here for all levels and memories that will last a lifetime. A dhow-cruise or a private charter departing from Dibba Port, navigating alongside the dramatic coastline of the Musandam Peninsula, is by far the best solution to reaching the dive sites. In order to discover these places, I chose a shared cruise on a triple deck dhow, together with my friend Massimo who was in charge of taking pictures during the trip as an experienced diver (he has more than 3,000 dives as a commercial diver) and photographer. It was my first cruise and first time to have as many dives in such a short time. I had the chance to enjoy it and dive with Massimo and other experienced divers. There are over 30 established popular dive sites. As the region is remote and commercial
Here are some of the sites. LIMA ROCK – Consisting of two sites – one on the north side of the rock and one on the south – this island lies outside from the mainland at 20.5nm, 029 degrees from Dibba port, Oman. It is a wall combination of slopes with lots of nice corals. As the rock is composed of limestone, shallow caves and deep fissures have been carved out by the tides and currents of the surrounding ocean. Table, staghorn, brain and boulder coral can be seen covering the boulders between 12 and 20 metres depth, while below 20 metres, black and purple coral scatter the sandy floor providing shelter for vividly marked yellow mouthed morays. In the cooler months, at the beginning of the year, whale sharks can be seen frequenting Lima Rock. Lima rock is also good for bird-watching ospreys, swifts and sooty falcons that reside on the areas of rock above the water, making the site a nice area to rest for a surface interval. SANNAT CAVE – Not visible from the surface, Sannat Cave is 14.5nm at 026 degrees from Dibba port. The Cave is accessible through tunnels eroded through the limestone rock by the sea. It’s a beautiful cave combination of slopes where you might see sting rays, turtles, or schools of fusiliers. The main chamber has a maximum depth of 16 metres; this dive site is best for your 3rd dive of the day, but remember cave diving requires an advanced diver or equivalent and skills to establish neutral buoyancy. RAS LIMA – Consisting of two sites, Ras Lima is 1.13 kilometers away from Lima village which is 20.2nm at 027 degrees from Dibba port, Oman.There are a number of large rocks across them, some of which form shallow caves. The north site is a wall dive along the interesting and intricate rock face of the headland. It slopes with soft corals on the reef with a depth between 6–8 meters and at 15